Manuel Sarabia

Manu Sarabia
Personal information
Full nameManuel Sarabia López
Date of birth9 January 1957
Place of birthAbanto Zierbena, Spain
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
San Pedro Sestao
1974Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1974–1976Bilbao Athletic52(20)
1976–1988Athletic Bilbao284(83)
1977–1978→ Barakaldo (loan)35(14)
1988–1991Logroñés79(18)
Total450(135)
National team
1978Spain U212(0)
1979–1983Spain amateur4(1)
1983–1985Spain15(2)
Teams managed
1995–1997Bilbao Athletic
1999–2000Badajoz
2002Numancia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Sarabia and the second or maternal family name is López.

Manuel 'Manu' Sarabia López (born 9 January 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.

He amassed La Liga totals of 363 games and 101 goals over the course of 14 seasons, mainly with Athletic Bilbao but also with Logroñés. He won four major titles with the former, notably two national championships, and scored 182 times all competitions comprised.[1]

Left-footed, Sarabia represented Spain at Euro 1984.

Club career

Born in Abanto y Ciérbana-Abanto Zierbena, Biscay, Sarabia came through the ranks of Lezama, Athletic Bilbao's prolific youth system, making his debut for the main squad on 19 September 1976 in a 1–1 home draw against CD Málaga. A full first-team member from 1978–79 onwards, having also served a loan with neighbours Barakaldo CF in the previous year, he went on to appear in 284 La Liga matches for the Basque club (with 83 goals, having a best output of 16 in the 1982–83 season when Athletic won the league title, renewing it the following campaign).

Sarabia retired aged 34 in 1991, after three seasons with modest CD Logroñés also in the top division, scoring more than 20 official goals during his stint. He took up coaching three years later, having very brief stints in the second level – the only season he started and finished, with Bilbao Athletic, ended in relegation.[2]

International career

Sarabia played 15 times with Spain in a two-year span, scoring twice. His first goal was one of 12 in the nation's routing of Malta in a UEFA Euro 1984 qualifier in Seville.

Sarabia subsequently appeared in the tournament's final stage in France, having three substitute appearances for the runners-up.

International goals

[3][4]

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 21 December 1983 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Malta 11–1 12–1 Euro 1984 qualifying
2. 12 June 1985 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland  Iceland 1–1 1–2 1986 World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

Athletic Bilbao

Country

References

  1. ↑ "Leyendas del Athletic Club de Bilbao – Sarabia" [Athletic Club de Bilbao legends – Sarabia] (in Spanish). El Correo. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "El Lleida sentencia al Athletic en un mal partido" [Lleida sentences Athletic in poor showing] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 20 May 1996. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Gol a gol hasta... ¡el delirio!" [Goal by goal until... ecstasy!] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 22 December 1983. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "1–2: España cortó el bacalao" [1–2: Spain got job done] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 13 June 1985. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Spain 1982/83". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Spain 1983/84". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Iriondo: Siento una gran alegria y... un poco de pena" [Iriondo: I am extremely happy and... a little sorry] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 26 June 1977. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "2–1: Hugo se fue por la puerta grande" [2–1: Hugo exited through the front door] (PDF) (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 1 July 1985. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Spain – List of Super Cup Finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Athletic 2–1 Juventus". UEFA.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "France 2–0 Spain". UEFA.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

External links