Lezama’s first turns 62

Today April 18, Santi Urkiaga, one of the most memorable right-backs in Athletic Club’s history, is celebrating his 62nd birthday. The footballer from Barakaldo worn the red-and-white shirt for 9 seasons, playing 345 matches and scoring 7 goals as a part of the first-team squad.

Beyond the numbers, Urkiaga is a symbol in terms of Athletic Club sports policies, since he was the first footballer to reach the first team after having played in all the youth teams at the Club. Lezama, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, hosted the first schools’ Easter tournament in April 1971, where Urkiaga participated at the age of 13 and after which he signed for the club. He started his career at Athletic Youths, where he began his climb towards the first team going through all the youth categories.

He made his debut with the seniors in the Copa (1978, knockout match against Balmaseda), when he was 20 years, 6 months and 12 days old, and later in the Liga (1979, against Atlético de Madrid at Vicente Calderón). Urkiaga became a key figure in the legendary team managed by Clemente, the side that who won the 82-83 league and the Double league-cup (+ Spanish Super Cup) during the following season.

After his retirement in 1989, Santi Urkiaga -who had also played a European and a World Cup- was CD Basconia’s coach (1993-94) before it was turned into Athletic Club’s reserve team and, five years later, he joined the club’s coaching staff as a manager of the youth academy teams. Nowadays, he is in charge of the logistics at the facilities at Lezama, as it could not be otherwise.