Rojo I: The Mozart of Football

José Francisco Rojo Arroita, Rojo I, as he was known throughout the time he played for Athletic alongside brother Ángel, is the second-most capped player in Athletic Club history.

During his 17 seasons with the first team, from 1965 to 1982, he wore the red-and-white shirt on 541 occasions: 413 LaLiga matches, 88 Copa fixtures and 40 European appearances. 

Txetxu, as he was also known, was twice a Copa winner (1968-69, 1972-73) and three times a runner-up (1965-66, 1966-67 and 1976-77) in addition to being a runner-up in La Liga (1969-70) and the UEFA Cup (1976-77). He went on to retire just as the last Athletic last LaLiga-winning side was being put together by then coach Javier Clemente.

Even before Rojo I made his First Division debut, the San Mamés faithful had already heard about the talented midfielder. Txetxu came up through the ranks at local youth sides and joined Athletic's Under-18s in 1964-65, helping the team win the league that season.

Txetxu's progression led him to start the 1965-66 season with Bilbao Athletic, but after five goals in three appearances, it became clear he was too good for that level.

So, he made the leap from the regional leagues to the First Division, earning a place in the first-team's starting eleven, and that same year, at the age of 19, he played in his first Copa final.

Considered the "legitimate" successor to Piru Gainza, it was in fact Gainza who gave Rojo his debut for Athletic. It was also Piru who decided to move Rojo from the middle to the left wing, the position in which he would play for the rest of his career at Athletic.

Rojo, "the Mozart of football" according to famous composer Carmelo Bernaola, possessed such quality that his performances became heavily scrutinised very early on.

Txetxu was a footballer of extraordinary class and unparalleled elegance, his silky left foot combined with a strong character would often set San Mamés alight. However, at the same time, sections of the public and the press often accused him of being cold and distant.

What cannot be denied is that Rojo was always one of the first names on the teamsheet under all his coaches - he even made 33 appearances in his last season - and today, 25 years after his retirement, his galloping runs down the wing and his sublime skill are still remembered with fondness.

After hanging up his boots, Txetxu joined the coaching staff at Lezama. He started with the Under 12s in 1982-83 and eventually led the senior team in November 1989. During the years in between, he had worked with every age group at the Club, in addition to being manager at Bilbao Athletic and first-team assistant coach.