%2c_Bestanddeelnr_929-1073_(alexanko).jpg) Alexanko in 1977 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Ramón Alexanko Ventosa | ||
| Date of birth | (1956-05-19)19 May 1956 (age 69) | ||
| Place of birth | Barakaldo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Llodio | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1976 | Bilbao Athletic | 97 | (9) |
| 1976–1980 | Athletic Bilbao | 91 | (8) |
| 1976 | →Alavés (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1980–1993 | Barcelona | 274 | (26) |
| Total | 440 | (43) | |
| International career | |||
| 1977 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 1978–1982 | Spain | 34 | (4) |
| 1979 | Basque Country | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1997–1998 | FC U Craiova | ||
| 1998–1999 | Naţional București | ||
| 2000–2002 | Barcelona (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Ramón Alexanko Ventosa (Spanish pronunciation:[xo'sera'monaleɣ'saŋkoβen'tosa]; born 19 May 1956), also known asAlexanko orAlesanco, is a Spanish retiredfootball player and manager, who later served as director of football ofValencia.
During his career thecentral defender played with success for bothAthletic Bilbao andBarcelona, winning several accolades for the latter – 16 in total – and appearing in 367La Liga games over the course of 17 seasons (34 goals).[1]
ASpanish international on more than 30 occasions, Alexanko represented the nation in oneWorld Cup and oneEuropean Championship.
Born inBarakaldo,Biscay, Alexanko joinedAthletic Bilbao's youth system in 1972, then served an unassuming loan withBasque neighboursAlavés –second division – and returned subsequently. He made hisLa Liga debut on 12 December 1976, in a 5–2 home win againstEspanyol (30 minutes played).[2]
An undisputed starter fromhis second season onwards, Alexanko's highlights at Athletic were winning two runners-up medals, one in theCopa del Rey and one in theUEFA Cup, both in 1977. Among his teammates were veteransJosé Ángel Iribar andJavier Irureta.
In 1980, Alexanko signed forBarcelona, paving the way for a number of fellowBasque players includingJosé Mari Bakero,Txiki Begiristain,Ion Andoni Goikoetxea,Julio Salinas andAndoni Zubizarreta. With him ascaptain they formed the backbone of the legendaryDream Team, which won four consecutive league championships and theEuropean Cup for the first time in the club's history.
Among his most memorable moments during his 13 seasons at theCatalan side, Alexanko scored the winning goal as Barcelona beatReal Sociedad 1–0 in the1988 domestic cup final,[3] also playing about ten minutes in the1992 European Cup Final. Six years earlier he had hispenalty shootout attempt saved bySteaua București'sHelmut Duckadam, as Barça lost the1986 edition inSeville.[4]
Alexanko made his debut forSpain on 15 November 1978, playing in the 1–0 home win againstRomania for theUEFA Euro 1980qualifiers. He represented the nation at both Euro 1980 and the1982 FIFA World Cup, retiring from the international scene at only 26 after the second group stage draw againstEngland in the latter competition, with a total of 34caps; he also appeared in one game for theEuskadi XI, in 1979.
After retiring as a player in 1993, Alexanko started a coaching career as he managed Romanian sidesUniversitatea Craiova andNaţional București. In the middle of 2000, he returned to Barcelona, assisting head coachCarles Rexach (his teammate in theforward'slast season as a player). In July 2005, Alexanko was named the club's youth system coordinator.[5]
In August 2015, Alexanko held the position of director of theValencia Academy.[6] On 7 January 2017, he became the interimdirector of football atValencia in place ofJesús García Pitarch.[7] In February, he was appointed permanently with a contract until 2019, withVicente Rodríguez as technical secretary.[8] Later that year, in September, he was fired from his position at Valencia.[9]
In January 2018, he became a commentator forbeIN Sports until the end of the2017–18 La Liga season.[10]
In September 2019, Alexanko was appointed academy and scouting director at South African clubMamelodi Sundowns.[11] In November 2020, he left his position at Sundowns following the departure of coachPitso Mosimane.[12]
In March 2021, he returned to his position as youth football director at Barcelona, afterJoan Laporta's victory in thepresidential elections.[13]
Alexanko was accused ofraping amaid in a hotel atPapendal, the Netherlands, in 1988. Eventually, all of the charges were dropped.[14]
Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona[17]
Universitatea Craiova
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