Julen Guerrero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Julen Guerrero

Guerrero in a 1995 advert
Personal information
Full name	Julen Guerrero López
Date of birth	(1974-01-07) 7 January 1974 (age 51)
Place of birth	Portugalete, Spain
Height	1.79 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1982–1992	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992	Bilbao Athletic	12	(6)
1992–2006	Athletic Bilbao	372	(101)
Total		384	(107)
National team
1989–1990	Spain U16	9	(7)
1990–1991	Spain U17	8	(3)
1990–1991	Spain U18	14	(2)
1992–1994	Spain U21	12	(8)
1993–2000	Spain	41	(13)
1993–2006	Basque Country	11	(6)
Teams managed
2018–2020	Spain U16
2019–2020	Spain U15
2021–2023	Spain U17
2024	Amorebieta
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Under-21 Championship Bronze 1994 France
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Julen Guerrero López, born on January 7, 1974, is a famous Spanish former football player. He was an attacking midfielder and played his entire professional career for just one club, Athletic Bilbao. He played in 430 official games and scored 116 goals for them. He even helped his team finish second in La Liga, Spain's top football league, during the 1997–98 season. Julen also played for the Spanish national team from 1993. He represented Spain in big tournaments like the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, and Euro 1996.

Julen Guerrero's Football Journey

Julen Guerrero was born in Portugalete, a town in Spain. He started playing football at a very young age. When he was just eight years old, he joined the famous Athletic Bilbao club. He moved up through their youth teams, showing great talent.

In the 1991–92 season, Julen was part of the under-19 team that won both the national cup and league. This is called a double. He also played and scored for Athletic Bilbao's reserve team, Bilbao Athletic, in the Segunda División.

Becoming a Star at Athletic Bilbao

Julen made his first team debut for Athletic Bilbao on September 6, 1992, when he was only 18. He quickly became a key player. Even though he was a midfielder, he scored 28 goals in his first two seasons in La Liga.

His amazing skills made him very popular. In 1993, he was named the New Spanish Player of the Year. The next year, he won the Spanish Footballer of the Year award. He even scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Albacete and four goals against Sporting de Gijón!

Julen became one of the first football celebrities in Spain. Fans, especially younger ones, loved his football skills and his friendly personality. He was even made the youngest-ever captain of his team.

Loyalty to His Club

Many big clubs from around the world wanted to sign Julen. Teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and Manchester United were interested. But Julen chose to stay loyal to Athletic Bilbao.

In 1997, he signed a special ten-year contract. This was the longest contract in the club's history! It also made him the highest-paid player on the team.

In the 1997–98 season, Julen scored eight goals. Athletic Bilbao finished second in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Julen played well in this big European competition.

Later in his career, Julen played fewer games and scored fewer goals. But even when his performance changed, he remained a huge fan favorite. He retired from playing football on July 11, 2006. He scored 116 goals in 430 games for Athletic Bilbao, showing incredible dedication to his club.

Playing for Spain

Julen Guerrero training with the Spanish national team in 1994.

Julen Guerrero also had a great international career playing for Spain. He made his debut on January 27, 1993, when he was just 19 years old. It was a friendly game against Mexico.

He played 41 games for Spain and scored 13 goals. He proudly represented his country in two FIFA World Cups (1994 and 1998) and the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament.

Some of his best moments for Spain included scoring hat-tricks against Malta in 1996 and Cyprus in 1999. His last game for Spain was in October 2000. Julen also played 11 times for the Basque Country team, scoring six goals.

Julen Guerrero's Playing Style

Julen Guerrero was known as one of the best attacking midfielders of his time. He was ambidextrous, meaning he was good with both his left and right feet. He was also famous for his powerful free kicks and his ability to score goals.

Fans and the media gave him cool nicknames like El Rey León (The Lion King) and La Perla de Lezama (The Pearl of Lezama). These names showed how much people admired his talent and importance to the team.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Julen Guerrero started a new career as a coach. He first worked with the youth teams at Lezama, which is Athletic Bilbao's training ground.

Later, he coached different Spanish national youth teams, including the under-16s, under-15s, and under-17s.

In 2024, Julen became the manager of Amorebieta, a professional club. He later left this role in October of the same year.

Personal Life

Julen Guerrero's younger brother, José Félix, was also a football player. He played as a midfielder, just like Julen, and also played for Athletic Bilbao's reserve team.

Outside of football, Julen opened his own restaurant called Restaurante Julen Guerrero in Zamudio. He also worked as an online writer for Eurosport, sharing his thoughts on sports.

Honours and Awards

Julen Guerrero achieved some notable awards during his career:

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship third place: 1994

Individual

• La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 1993
• Spanish Player of the Year: 1994

See also

In Spanish: Julen Guerrero para niños

• List of one-club men