Death: Armando Merodio

The former red-and-white player Armando Merodio Pesquera has passed away. Son of the great pelotari “Txikito de Gallarta”, due to his father’s profession, he was born in Barcelona, where he lived until he was 3 years old. On his return to Bizkaia, he began to play football for Santiago Apóstol, before moving to Gallarta, Getxo and Barakaldo before joining Athletic. He arrived to Athletic in the 1955-56 season and stayed with us for eight seasons, playing 104 official matches, scoring 39 goals and winning one league and two cups. The season of his debut (fortunate debut, on March 11, 1956, as he scored a goal against Atletico de Madrid in San Mames with a score of 2-1) Athletic won the League and Cup under the direction of Daucik. The following season, 1956-57, was, in the words of Merodio, his great season in Athletic: 26 league matches with 9 goals and 6 European Cup matches with 3 goals. Those goals in Europe’s premier competition made him Athletic’s second top scorer: the same draw with Aritz Aduriz. He has also scored 5 goals against Osasuna (Osasuna 1 – Athletic 8, January 11, 1959). That same month of January 1959, a serious injury in Zaragoza slowed down his career at Athletic. Starter at La Rosaleda in the game that Iribar and Uriarte debuted in September 1962, that was their last season at the Lions Club. After leaving Athletic, he signed for Real Murcia, from the First Division, Recreativo de Huelva and Indautxu, from the Second Division, where he definitely hung up his boots. Rest in peace.