Javier Urruticoechea

Urruti
Personal information
Full name Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea
Date of birth 17 November 1952(1952-11-17)
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Date of death 24 May 2001(2001-05-24) (aged 48)
Place of death Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 12 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
1967–1969 Lengokoak
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1969–1972 San Sebastián
1972–1977 Real Sociedad 66 (0)
1977–1981 Español 120 (0)
1981–1988 Barcelona 120 (0)
National team
1979 Spain U23 2 (0)
1974 Spain amateur 2 (0)
1980–1981 Spain B 5 (0)
1978–1980 Spain 5 (0)
1979–1980 Euskadi XI 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea (born 17 November 1952 in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa - died 24 May 2001 in Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona), aka Urruti, was a Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

During his time at FC Barcelona (1981–88), he became a favourite of both fans and teammates. At a club well known for goalkeepers like Ricardo Zamora, Franz Platko, Juan Velasco and Antoni Ramallets, he became a legend.

In May 2001, Urruti, aged only 48, died after his car hit the central barrier of a ring road near Barcelona.[1] An annual golf tournament, the Trofeo Javier Urruti, is played in his honour.

Contents

Club career

Urruti played as a junior with Lengokoak before joining Real Sociedad in 1969, spending three full years with the reserve team. For the next league seasons, he maintained an interesting battle for first-choice status with legendary Luis Arconada.

After Arconada finally settled, Urruti moved to RCD Español, where he won the Don Balón award in 1981 (Spanish Footballer of the Year),[2] moving across the city after that season to join FC Barcelona.

In his third year, Urruti won the Zamora Trophy, while playing in all the matches safe one. Alongside the likes of Steve Archibald and Bernd Schuster, he was a prominent member of the team coached by Terry Venables, that won the league in 1984–85 and then reached the final of the European Cup in the following year. On 25 March 1985, in a game against Real Valladolid, his penalty save against Mágico González effectively clinched the title.

During the second leg of the European Cup semi-final against IFK Göteborg, Urruti successfully protested to the referee about a conceded goal after he spotted the ball had gone out of play. Barcelona were trailing 3–0 from the first-leg and the decision kept them in the game. They eventually drew level and in the subsequent penalty shootout, Urruti saved a crucial penalty and then scored one. The final against FC Steaua Bucureşti, however, was a major disappointment as, although he saved two in the shootout (after 0–0 in regulation), his Romanian counterpart, Helmuth Duckadam, saved all four.

After Andoni Zubizarreta, another Basque, arrived from Athletic Bilbao in 1986, he was pushed to the bench and only appeared in one league match in his final two seasons combined, later being the club's goalkeeper coach. On 24 May 2001, he died in a road accident near Barcelona, at just 48.[3]

International career

Urruti played five times for Spain in a two-year span, and was a member of the Spanish squads for the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, also being picked for UEFA Euro 1980.

His debut came in a friendly with Norway, on 29 March 1978, in Gijón. However, his struggles at the club level translated to the international front, as he was never able to replace fellow Basques Arconada and Zubizarreta. Urruti also played twice for the Basque Country national football team.

Honours

Barcelona
Individual

References

External links