Javier Urruticoechea facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea | ||
| Date of birth | 17 February 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | San Sebastián, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 24 May 2001 (aged 49) | ||
| Place of death | Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1967–1969 | Lengokoak | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1969–1972 | San Sebastián | ||
| 1972–1977 | Real Sociedad | 66 | (0) |
| 1977–1981 | Español | 121 | (0) |
| 1981–1988 | Barcelona | 120 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1979 | Spain U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1974 | Spain amateur | 2 | (0) |
| 1980–1981 | Spain B | 5 | (0) |
| 1978–1980 | Spain | 5 | (0) |
| 1979–1980 | Euskadi XI | 2 | (0) |
|
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Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea (born February 17, 1952 – died May 24, 2001) was a famous Spanish football player. Everyone knew him as Urruti. He was a goalkeeper, which means he protected the goal.
Urruti became a legend at FC Barcelona, a club known for great goalkeepers. He played in 307 La Liga games over 16 seasons. He also played for other teams like Real Sociedad and Español. Urruti even played for the Spanish national team in three World Cups. Sadly, he died in a car accident in 2001 when he was 49 years old.
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Urruti's Club Career Highlights
Urruti was born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain. He started playing football as a junior with a team called Lengokoak. In 1969, he joined Real Sociedad. He spent three years playing for their reserve team. Later, he competed with the famous goalkeeper Luis Arconada for a spot on the main team.
Moving to RCD Español and FC Barcelona
After Luis Arconada became the main goalkeeper for Real Sociedad, Urruti moved to RCD Español. In 1981, he won the Don Balón award, which is given to the best Spanish Footballer of the Year. After that season, he moved across the city to join FC Barcelona.
In his third year at Barcelona (1983–84), Urruti won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy. This award is given to the goalkeeper who lets in the fewest goals in La Liga. He played in almost every game that season.
Winning Titles with Barcelona
Urruti was a very important player for the Barcelona team coached by Terry Venables. They won the La Liga title in the 1984–85 season. A famous moment happened on March 25, 1985, during a game against Real Valladolid. Urruti saved a penalty shot, which helped Barcelona secure the league title.
The team also reached the final of the European Cup in 1986. In the semi-final against IFK Göteborg, Barcelona was losing 0–3 from the first game. During the second game, Urruti noticed the ball had gone out of play before a goal was scored against them. He successfully protested to the referee, and the goal was disallowed. This decision kept Barcelona in the game. They managed to tie the score, and in the penalty shootout, Urruti saved a crucial penalty and even scored one himself!
However, the final against FC Steaua București was disappointing. Even though Urruti saved two shots in the shootout, the other team's goalkeeper, Helmuth Duckadam, stopped all four of Barcelona's shots.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1986, another great goalkeeper from the Basque region, Andoni Zubizarreta, joined Barcelona. Urruti then became a substitute player. He only played in one league match in his last two seasons. After retiring, he became a goalkeeper coach for the club.
On May 24, 2001, Urruti died in a car accident near Barcelona. He was only 49 years old. To honor him, an annual golf tournament called the Memorial Javier Urruti is played.
Urruti's International Career
Urruti played five games for the Spanish national team over two years. He was part of the Spanish squads for the FIFA World Cup tournaments in 1978, 1982, and 1986. He was also chosen for the UEFA Euro 1980 tournament.
His first game for Spain was a friendly match against Norway on March 29, 1978. Even though he was a great player, it was hard for him to become the main goalkeeper for Spain. This was because other talented Basque goalkeepers like Luis Arconada and Andoni Zubizarreta were also playing at the same time. Urruti also played two games for the Basque Country national team.
Urruti's Football Honours
Club Achievements
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1984–85 (League Champions)
- Copa del Rey: 1982–83, 1987–88 (Spanish Cup Winners)
- Supercopa de España: 1983 (Spanish Super Cup Winners)
- Copa de la Liga: 1983, 1986 (League Cup Winners)
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1981–82 (European Cup Winners' Cup Champions)
- European Cup runner-up: 1985–86 (European Cup Finalist)
Individual Awards
- Don Balón Award – Spanish Footballer of the Year: 1980–81
- Zamora Trophy: 1983–84 (Best Goalkeeper Award)
See also
In Spanish: Javier Urruticoechea para niños
