| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ismael Urtubi Aróstegui | ||
| Date of birth | (1961-05-24)24 May 1961 (age 63) | ||
| Place of birth | Barakaldo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1981 | Bilbao Athletic | 41 | (1) |
| 1979 | → Mungia (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 1980–1992 | Athletic Bilbao | 209 | (28) |
| 1981 | →Mallorca (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 1982 | →Margaritense (loan) | ||
| 1992–1994 | Balmaseda | ? | (8) |
| 1994–1995 | Zalla | ||
| International career | |||
| 1984–1985 | Spain | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2001–2004 | Zalla | ||
| 2005–2006 | Mirandés | ||
| 2007–2008 | Zalla | ||
| 2011–2012 | Zalla | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ismael Urtubi Aróstegui (born 24 May 1961) is a Spanish retiredfootballer who played as aleft midfielder.
An accomplishedpenalty kick taker, his entire professional career was spent withAthletic Bilbao with which he appeared in nearly 300 official matches, winning four major titles including twoLa Liga championships.
Born inBarakaldo,Biscay, Urtubi grew inAthletic Bilbao's youth system,Lezama. On 2 November 1980 he made his debut with the first team, playing two minutes in a 1–1 away draw againstSporting de Gijón in what would be his onlyLa Liga appearance ofthe season.
In the summer of 1981, Urtubi moved to theBalearic Islands for hiscompulsory military service, spending a few months playing withRCD Mallorca inSegunda División and finishing the campaign with amateursCD Margaritense, in both cases on loan.[1] Upon his return he wasted no time making an impact in theLions' main squad, scoring 13 goals in 62 games combined as theBasque won back-to-back national championships and conqueringthe double inthe latter season.
In the 1985Copa del Reyfinal, againstAtlético Madrid,referee Miguel Pérez awarded theColchoneros apenalty kick after a controversial handball by Urtubi – Bibao eventually lost it 1–2. Inthe following league campaign the side finished in third position, with the player missing his first penalty ever, againstHércules CF, and managerJavier Clemente was also fired after five highly successful years.
Urtubi continued to be an undisputed starter with the following coaches,José Ángel Iribar andHoward Kendall, with Athletic finishing13th andfourth, respectively, andreaching the semifinals of the domestic cup in 1987, bowing out to neighbouringReal Sociedad. On 15 February 1989, during a cup match againstReal Valladolid, he suffered a severe injury in his left knee (posterior cruciate ligament, external and internalmeniscus),[2] but astonishingly recovered fully in a short period of time, although he later suffered a relapse.
In1989–90, managerTxetxu Rojo, a former Athletic player and assistant coach during Kendall's spell, suggested Urtubi gained match fitness withthe reserves. After the player refused he would make no more official appearances, but saw his importance in the squad increase after Clemente returned in June 1990, after elections at the club brought a new chairman.
On 16 March 1991, after a 0–2 loss atCD Castellón (in the previous matchday, Bilbao lost 0–6 at home againstFC Barcelona), Clemente was fired, in what was Urtubi's last match in the Spanish top division. In1991–92 his output consisted of one cup tie againstDeportivo Alavés, scoring Athletic's goal through a penalty to help to a 1–1 draw inÁlava and leaving the club after ten full seasons as a professional, amassing totals of 277 games and 37 goals.
Urtubi ended his career in 1995 at the age of 34, after playing amateur football with local sidesSD Balmaseda FC andZalla UC. Ten years later he had his first coaching experience, leadingCD Mirandés tothe second position inTercera División.[3]
On 14 November 1984, Urtubi won the first of his twocaps withSpain, starting in a 1–3 loss againstScotland for the1986 FIFA World Cupqualifiers, inGlasgow.[1] Two months later, he replaced Barcelona'sJulio Alberto in the dying minutes of a 3–1 friendly win withFinland, in a match played inValencia.
Athletic Bilbao