José Francisco 'Txetxu' Rojo Arroitia (28 January 1947 – 23 December 2022), also known asRojo I, was a Spanishfootball player andmanager.
During his career, theforward played solely forAthletic Bilbao, in a professional spell which spanned nearly 20 years. He was one of the club's most iconic players,[2][3] and later also worked as a coach with the team.
Born inBilbao,Biscay, Rojo joined local giantsAthletic Bilbao's youth academy at an early age.[4] In 1965, he started playing forthe reserves[5] but, after only three appearances, was promoted to the first team, and stayed there until his professional retirement 17 years later.[6][7]
Rojo made hisLa Liga debut on 26 September 1965 in a 1–0 away loss againstCórdoba,[8] and helped Athletic to winCopa del Rey trophies in1969[9] and1973.[10] He totalled 414 games in the Spanish top flight, becoming the player with the second-most appearances in theBasque club's history, only behindJosé Ángel Iribar.[11] The total was eventually surpassed byIker Muniain in 2023 andÓscar de Marcos a year later,[12] though both played far fewer minutes than Rojo overall.[13][14]
For several seasons, Rojo shared teams with his younger brotherJosé Ángel, with the pair being thus referred to as 'Rojo I' and 'Rojo II'.[15][16]
Rojo played 18 times forSpain, his debut coming on 26 March 1969 in afriendly againstSwitzerland held inValencia.[4] He scored three goals in his nine years with the national team, but never took part in any major international tournament; he and his brother José Ángel appeared together in an exhibition game withTurkey on 17 October 1973, in the latter's solecap.[17]
In 1982, aged 35, Rojo retired as a footballer and began a coaching career – atestimonial match was held in his honour, with Athletic Bilbao hosting theEngland national team.[18][19][20] His first managerial experience would be with the former's reserves, and he was promoted to first-team duties early into the1989–90 campaign, being dismissed at its conclusion.[21][22]
Rojo died on 23 December 2022 at the age of 75, inLeioa.[32][23] Athletic Bilbao released the following statement upon his death:[16]
"There are not enough words in the world to describe Txetxu Rojo and what he means for our Club. Those who enjoyed his unique style on the left wing for 17 seasons will remember the amazing runs, the surgical and unexpected passes, exquisite controls, beautiful goals, but, above all, the aura of an inimitable footballer, an artist, a creator of beauty, perhaps lacking in the brawn of other Athletic legends, but nonetheless possessing the enormous heart of a Lion.Although Txetxu's heart has stopped beating in his mortal body, it will continue to beat forever in the hearts of our fans."
Rojo was given the nickname the "Mozart of football" by composerCarmelo Bernaola.[33]
^Ugalde, Iñaki (25 October 2024)."De Marcos hace historia en el Athletic" [De Marcos makes history at Athletic].Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved4 November 2024.
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Switzerland
Cyprus
Northern Ireland