José Iraragorri: 5th top scorer of Athletic Club

Today, March 16, would be the 108th birthday of José Iraragorri (Basauri, 1912 – Galdakao, 1983), the legendary red-and-white striker and the fifth top scorer in Athletic Club’s history, with 179 goals in ten seasons.

Nicknamed ‘El chato de Galdácano’, Iraragorri was one of the five lions who formed the first historic striker of the red-and-white club at the early age of 17. Together with him were Lafuente, Bata, Chirri II and Gorostiza, and together they won the first league in the history of Athletic Club in the 1929-30 season, as well as the Copa (Cup) that same year. They repeated the winning streak the following season, winning four more Spanish titles over the next five seasons, two league titles and two Copas.

Iraragorri was responsible for this. The striker from Bizkaia scored 179 goals in 240 matches during his ten seasons at Athletic. He also scored the first goal for the Spain team in a World Cup (Italy, 1934).

Due to the beginning of the Civil War, he went into exile in South America, where he played for the Argentinean CA San Lorenzo de Almagro and the Mexican Real Club España, winning Copa (1944) and League (1945). He returned to Athletic in 1946, where he finished his career as a footballer and began to coach. At the command of the lions, Iraragorri won a Copa del Rey championship (1950).

Top 5 of goalscorers
With 179 goals in ten seasons, the legendary red-and-white striker is still the fifth highest scorer in Athletic Club’s history, only surpassed by his strike partner Gorostiza (196 goals), Dani (199 goals), Bata – another member of that historic first striker – (208 goals) and Athletic Club’s all-time top scorer, Telmo Zarra (335 goals). Closely following the footsteps of Iraragorri and still active, is Aritz Aduriz, with 172 goals.