Koldo Aguirre facts for kids
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Aguirre in 1978
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis María Aguirre Vidaurrázaga | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 1939 | ||
| Place of birth | Sondika, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 3 July 2019 (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sondika | |||
| Getxo | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1957–1969 | Athletic Bilbao | 231 | (44) |
| 1969–1970 | Sabadell | 3 | (0) |
| 1970 | Alicante | ||
| Total | 234 | (44) | |
| International career | |||
| 1961 | Spain B | 1 | (1) |
| 1961–1965 | Spain | 7 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1970–1971 | Erandio | ||
| 1971–1972 | Villosa | ||
| 1972–1973 | Alavés | ||
| 1974–1975 | Basque Country (youth) | ||
| 1975–1976 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
| 1976–1979 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1979–1982 | Hércules | ||
| 1983 | Valencia | ||
| 1983 | Mallorca | ||
| 1985–1986 | Logroñés | ||
| 1988 | Lleida | ||
| 1993–1994 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
| 1995–1996 | Barakaldo | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luis María "Koldo" Aguirre Vidaurrázaga (born April 27, 1939 – died July 3, 2019) was a Spanish football player and coach. He was known as a midfielder.
Koldo Aguirre played for Athletic Bilbao for twelve years. During this time, he played in 297 games and scored 61 goals. He also helped his team win two Copa del Rey trophies.
Contents
Koldo Aguirre's Football Journey
Playing Days
Club Career Highlights
Koldo Aguirre was born in Sondika, a town in Biscay, Spain. He joined Athletic Bilbao in 1957 when he was 18 years old. Before that, he played for CD Getxo. He quickly joined Athletic Bilbao's main team.
He played his first game in La Liga, Spain's top football league, on January 19, 1958. His team lost 2–1 to Real Zaragoza. In his first season, he played only three games. But his team won the Copa del Rey (then called Copa del Generalísimo) that year.
In the years that followed, Aguirre became a key player for Athletic Bilbao. In the 1961–62 season, he scored 11 goals in 29 games. This was his best scoring year. He helped his team finish in fifth place.
On October 10, 1965, he scored four goals in just 11 minutes against RCD Español. The opposing goalkeeper was his old friend, Carmelo Cedrún. Towards the end of his time with Athletic Bilbao, he won his second Copa del Rey trophy. This win was against Elche CF.
In 1969, when he was 30, Aguirre moved to another league club, CE Sabadell FC. He stopped playing halfway through the season. This was because his younger brother, Iñaki, had passed away. Iñaki was a goalkeeper for AD Plus Ultra. Koldo wanted to support his family. He later played some amateur football for Alicante CF. After that, he worked for Athletic Bilbao, helping connect with fans.
Playing for Spain
Koldo Aguirre played seven games for the Spanish national team over four years. His first game for Spain was on April 19, 1961. Spain won 2–1 against Wales. This game was part of the qualifiers for the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Aguirre started coaching. He first coached in the lower football divisions. He later returned to his main club, Athletic Bilbao, as an assistant coach. Before this, he had coached their reserve team, Bilbao Athletic, and Deportivo Alavés.
He became the head coach for Athletic Bilbao in the 1976–77 season. He coached the team for three years. During this time, his team finished third in the league twice. They also reached the finals of the Spanish Cup and the UEFA Cup in 1977.
Aguirre then coached Hércules CF for three seasons. This team was also in the top league. They were moved down to a lower league in his last year, 1981–82. In the next season, he was one of three coaches for Valencia CF. He coached them for the last seven games. Valencia won three games, drew two, and lost two. They finished just above the relegation zone. In a very important game, they beat Real Madrid, who were the league leaders. This win meant Valencia stayed in the top league. It also helped Athletic Bilbao win the league title. Athletic Bilbao had helped Valencia by beating UD Las Palmas, who were then relegated.
After a short time coaching RCD Mallorca in the top division, Aguirre went back to coaching in lower leagues. He coached Bilbao Athletic again, among other teams.
Later Life and Legacy
Koldo Aguirre passed away in Bilbao on July 3, 2019. He was 80 years old. He is remembered as a talented player and coach in Spanish football.
Honours and Achievements
Player
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey: 1958, 1969; Runner-up 1965–66, 1966–67
Manager
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 1976–77
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 1976–77
See also
In Spanish: Koldo Aguirre para niños
