| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Ignacio Sáez Ruiz | ||
| Date of birth | (1943-04-23)23 April 1943 (age 82) | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1958–1961 | San Vicente | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1962 | Barakaldo | ||
| 1962–1974 | Athletic Bilbao | 263 | (7) |
| International career | |||
| 1968 | Spain | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1974–1978 | Athletic Bilbao (youth) | ||
| 1978–1979 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
| 1980–1981 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1982–1983 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
| 1986 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1987–1991 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
| 1991–1992 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1993–1994 | Las Palmas | ||
| 1995 | Las Palmas | ||
| 1996 | Albacete | ||
| 1996–2001 | Spain U18 | ||
| 1996–2002 | Spain U21 | ||
| 1997–2001 | Spain U20 | ||
| 2000 | Spain U23 | ||
| 2001–2002 | Spain U19 | ||
| 2002–2004 | Spain | ||
| 2004–2008 | Spain U21 | ||
| 2005 | Spain U20 | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Ignacio "Iñaki"Sáez Ruiz (born 23 April 1943) is a Spanish formerfootball player andmanager.
Adefender, he spent the vast majority of his professional career withAthletic Bilbao, which he later also coached in various levels, appearing in more than 300 official games with his main club.
In addition to two other clubs (other than Athletic), Sáez managed theSpain national team during two years, being in charge atEuro 2004.
Born inBilbao,Basque Country, Sáez joined local giantsAthletic Bilbao in 1962, from neighbouringBarakaldo. He totalled 46La Liga games – with five goals – in his first two seasons combined, but appeared in only 20 in the following three combined, due to injuries.
Again healthy, Sáez appeared regularly for Athletic from 1967 to 1974, helping the Lions to twoCopa del Rey trophies, and retired at the age of 31, having appeared in nearly 350 official games for the club. He was part of a legendary defense that also featuredJosé Ángel Iribar in goal,Luis María Echeberría andJesús Aranguren.[1]
Sáez earned threecaps forSpain in one month in 1968, his first and his last appearance being against the same opponent,England, in two losses for theUEFA Euro 1968qualifying stage (0–1 in London, 1–2 inMadrid).
Aged only 32, Sáez began a managerial career, taking charge of Athletic Bilbao'syouth sides for five years. Only two games into the1980–81 season,AustrianHelmut Senekowitsch was fired,[2] and he led the team to a final ninth position, and returned again to the B-team, helping it to aSegunda División return in 1983.
Sáez again took the reins of the first team in1985–86, replacingJavier Clemente for the final 13 games of the season, and leading Athletic to the third place, behindReal Madrid andBarcelona. In the following four seasons, he coached the reserves in the second level, being again promoted to the first team midway through1990–91, again replacing Clemente, and being himself fired after round 23 ofthe following campaign, as the team only finished two points above the relegation zone.[3]
After two spells withLas Palmas, both in division three, Sáez was appointed atAlbacete in the top flight, replacing firedBenito Floro in mid-March 1996, his first game in charge being a 0–2 away loss against Real Madrid asthe season finished in relegation through the playoffs.
In the summer of 1996, Sáez was appointed theSpain under-21 team manager, winning theUEFA European Championshiptwo years later after defeatingGreece.[4] Also being in charge of theunder-20s, he led them to theFIFA World Cup of the category in1999, inNigeria.[5][6]
In 2002, Sáez was namedJosé Antonio Camacho's successor at the helm of the senior team,[7] being in charge until the end ofEuro 2004 –[8][9] which ended in group stage exit – and collecting 15 wins, six draws and two losses in his 23 games in charge.
Subsequently, Sáez returned to the under-21 team,[10] retiring from the football world in 2008 at the age of 65.
Athletic Bilbao
Bilbao Athletic
Spain U18
Spain U19
Spain U21
Spain squads | |||||||
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