Pedro María Zabalza facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pedro María Zabalza Inda | ||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gure Txokoa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1963–1964 | Oberena | ||
| 1964–1967 | Osasuna | 64 | (17) |
| 1967–1973 | Barcelona | 149 | (10) |
| 1973–1976 | Athletic Bilbao | 57 | (2) |
| 1976–1977 | Osasuna | ||
| Total | 270 | (29) | |
| International career | |||
| 1968–1969 | Spain | 7 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1986–1993 | Osasuna | ||
| 1995 | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| 1996–1997 | Osasuna | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Pedro María Zabalza Inda, born on April 13, 1944, is a Spanish former professional football player and coach. He played as a midfielder. Zabalza is best known for his time with Osasuna, especially as their coach. During his playing career, he played 206 matches and scored 12 goals in Spain's top league, La Liga, playing for teams like Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Pedro Zabalza was born in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. He began his football journey at his hometown club, CA Osasuna. He played three seasons there in the Segunda División (Spain's second league). In the 1965–66 season, he scored his highest number of goals, ten. This helped the team finish ninth in the league.
In the summer of 1967, Zabalza moved to La Liga, Spain's top football league. He signed with FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in Spain. He made his first appearance in La Liga on September 10, 1967. This game was an away match against Real Zaragoza, which Barcelona lost 3–2.
Time at FC Barcelona
Zabalza played for FC Barcelona for six years. During this time, he played in 194 official games and scored 15 goals. He helped Barcelona win two Copa del Generalísimo trophies. This competition is now known as the Copa del Rey, which is Spain's main knockout football cup.
In the 1971 final, Zabalza scored two goals against Valencia CF. His goals helped Barcelona win the trophy that year.
Later Playing Years
After his time at Barcelona, Zabalza played three more seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao. He then returned to CA Osasuna to finish his playing career. At this point, Osasuna was playing in the Tercera División (Spain's third league). He retired from playing football at the age of 33.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Pedro Zabalza became a football manager. He is most famous for coaching his former club, CA Osasuna.
Coaching Osasuna
Zabalza took over as manager of CA Osasuna during the 1986–87 season. He coached the team for six full seasons in La Liga, Spain's top division. He resigned in December 1993 when the team was near the bottom of the league table. Osasuna was eventually relegated (moved down to a lower league) that season.
Other Coaching Roles
In the 1995–96 season, Zabalza started as the manager for Rayo Vallecano. However, he was dismissed after only seven matches, having lost six of them.
In the following season, he returned to CA Osasuna for another coaching period. During this season, Osasuna had four different managers, including Zabalza. The team managed to stay out of the relegation zone in the second division.
International Career
Pedro Zabalza also played for the Spanish national team. He earned seven caps (which means he played in seven international matches) over eight months. His first game for Spain was on October 17, 1968. It was a friendly match against France, which Spain won 3–1.
Honours
Barcelona
- Copa del Generalísimo: 1967–68, 1970–71
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Mari Zabalza para niños
