Aitor Elizegi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aitor Elizegi
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|
|---|---|
| 32nd President of Athletic Bilbao | |
| In office 27 December 2018 – 24 June 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Josu Urrutia |
| Succeeded by | Jon Uriarte |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Aitor Elizegi Alberdi
27 June 1966 Bilbao, Spain |
| Political party | Basque Nationalist Party |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, chef |
Aitor Elizegi Alberdi (born on June 27, 1966) is a Spanish businessman and a talented chef. He was also the president of the famous football club Athletic Bilbao from 2018 to 2022.
Contents
Aitor Elizegi's Early Life and Career
Aitor Elizegi was born in 1966 in Santutxu, a neighborhood in Bilbao, Spain. From a young age, he was a big fan of the Athletic Bilbao football club. He became an official member of the club when he was 25 years old.
Becoming a Top Chef
Elizegi started his career in the cooking world in 1987. Just one year later, he won the Spanish Chefs Championship, which is a big award for cooks in Spain. In 2000, he received the Basque Gastronomy Award for being the best restaurant owner at his restaurant called Gaminiz.
He owns several popular Basque restaurants in Bilbao. Some of these include Txocook, Bascook, and Basquery.
Leading Athletic Bilbao
On December 27, 2018, Aitor Elizegi won the election to become the president of Athletic Bilbao. He took over from the previous president, Josu Urrutia. Elizegi won by a very small number of votes, beating Alberto Uribe-Echevarría by only 85 votes.
Changes as President
One of the first things Elizegi did as president was to change the club's sporting director. The sporting director is in charge of finding new players and managing the team's sports side. He replaced José María Amorrortu with Rafael Alkorta and Andoni Ayarza. Both Alkorta and Ayarza were former players for Athletic Bilbao. This change was something Elizegi had promised during his election campaign.
Elizegi served as president for a four-year term. He decided not to run for re-election when his term ended in 2022. After him, Jon Uriarte became the new president of the club.
Elizegi's Political Views
Aitor Elizegi is a member of the Basque Nationalist Party. This party supports the idea of Basque nationalism, which means they believe in the unique culture and identity of the Basque Country.
He has also expressed his wish for a Basque Country national football team to be allowed to join UEFA. UEFA is the organization that controls football in Europe. This would mean the Basque Country could have its own national team play in international competitions.
See also
In Spanish: Aitor Elizegi para niños
