Rafael Alkorta facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Alkorta Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | 16 September 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1978–1985 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1984–1987 | Bilbao Athletic | 44 | (2) |
| 1987–1993 | Athletic Bilbao | 172 | (2) |
| 1993–1997 | Real Madrid | 107 | (2) |
| 1997–2002 | Athletic Bilbao | 91 | (4) |
| Total | 414 | (10) | |
| International career | |||
| 1985 | Spain U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 1985–1986 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 1987–1990 | Spain U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 1990–1998 | Spain | 54 | (0) |
| 1990–1999 | Basque Country | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Olympiacos (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2016 | Marseille (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rafael Alkorta Martínez (born on September 16, 1968) is a Spanish former footballer. He mostly played as a central defender, which is a player who helps protect the goal. Rafael Alkorta is currently the sporting director for Athletic Bilbao.
During his 17-year career, he played for Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. He played 370 matches in La Liga, scoring eight goals. He won three trophies with Real Madrid.
Alkorta also played for the Spanish national team in three World Cups during the 1990s.
Contents
Playing Football
Club Career
Rafael Alkorta was born in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain. He started playing football with his local club, Athletic Bilbao, in 1978 when he was a child. Seven years later, in 1985, he began playing for their second team, Athletic Bilbao B. He played 44 games for them.
In the 1987–88 season, he joined the main Athletic Bilbao team. His first game in La Liga was on October 24, 1987. He played 171 more games for the club. He became known as an excellent "man marker," meaning he was very good at stopping opposing players.
Alkorta then joined Real Madrid in the 1993–94 season. He was not sure about leaving Athletic Bilbao. However, the club needed money, and his transfer fee helped them. At Real Madrid, he played alongside Fernando Hierro. They formed a strong defensive team for both their club and the national team. He played over 150 official games for Real Madrid and won two league titles.
In the 1997–98 season, Alkorta returned to Athletic Bilbao. He helped his team finish second in the league that season. He continued to play regularly for a few more years. After playing only six games in the 2001–02 season, he decided to stop playing football. He was almost 34 years old when he retired.
Playing for Spain
Rafael Alkorta first played for the Spanish national team on May 26, 1990. It was a friendly game against Yugoslavia, which Spain won 1–0. Over the next eight years, he played 54 games for Spain.
He played in three World Cups: in 1990, 1994, and 1998. He also played in the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. Before joining the main national team, he played for Spain's under-16, under-18, and under-21 teams.
In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Alkorta played for ten minutes in a game against Belgium. In the other major tournaments, he started in 11 matches.
Life After Playing
Rafael Alkorta later became an assistant manager. He worked with his former Real Madrid teammate Míchel at Olympiacos F.C. and Olympique de Marseille. In December 2018, he became the new sporting director for Athletic Bilbao. In this role, he helps manage the club's football operations.
Honours and Trophies
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1994–95, 1996–97
- Supercopa de España: 1993; Runner-up 1995
Images for kids
-
Rafael Alkorta
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Alkorta para niños
