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 manager. He played as a midfielder. Zabalza is well-known for his time with the club CA Osasuna, especially as a coach. As a player, he played 206 matches and scored 12 goals in Spain's top football league, La Liga. He played for famous clubs like FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.
Contents
Playing Career: A Midfielder's Journey
Starting Out at Osasuna
Pedro Zabalza was born in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. He began his football journey at his local club, CA Osasuna. He played three seasons in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second-highest football league. In the 1965–66 season, he scored his highest number of goals, ten, helping his team finish ninth.
Time with FC Barcelona
In the summer of 1967, Zabalza moved to La Liga, Spain's top league. He signed with FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He played his first match in La Liga on September 10, 1967. Over six years at Barcelona's home stadium, Camp Nou, he played 194 competitive games. He scored 15 goals during this time.
Zabalza helped Barcelona win two Copa del Generalísimo trophies. This was a major cup competition in Spain. He even scored two goals in the 1971 final against Valencia CF, helping his team win the trophy.
Later Years and Retirement
After his time at Barcelona, Zabalza played three more seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao. He then returned to Osasuna, where he finished his playing career at the age of 33. At that time, Osasuna was playing in the Tercera División, which is a lower league.
Coaching Career: Leading Teams
Coaching Osasuna
After his playing days, Zabalza became a football manager. He took over as coach of CA Osasuna during the 1986–87 season. He coached his former club for six full seasons in La Liga. He resigned in December 1993 when the team was near the bottom of the league table. Osasuna was eventually relegated to a lower division that season.
Managing Rayo Vallecano
In the 1995–96 season, Zabalza became the coach of Rayo Vallecano. However, his time there was short. After only seven matches and six losses, he was dismissed from his role.
Return to Osasuna
In the 1996–97 season, Zabalza returned to coach Osasuna again. 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 Appearances
Zabalza also had the honor of playing for the Spain national football team. 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.
Achievements and Trophies
Trophies Won with Barcelona
- Copa del Generalísimo:
- 1967–68 season
- 1970–71 season
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Mari Zabalza para niños
