Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jesús Aranguren Merino | ||
Date of birth | 26 December 1944 | ||
Place of birth | Portugalete, Spain | ||
Date of death | 21 March 2011 | (aged 66)||
Place of death | Barakaldo, Spain | ||
Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 6 1⁄2 in) | ||
Playing position | Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
Sestao | |||
1961–1962 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1962–1975 | Athletic Bilbao | 247 | (4) |
National team | |||
1962–1963 | Spain U18 | 3 | (2) |
1963 | Spain amateur | 3 | (0) |
Teams managed | |||
1975–1976 | Basque Country (youth) | ||
1976–1977 | Athletic Bilbao (youth) | ||
1977–1978 | Bilbao Athletic | ||
1978–1980 | Alavés | ||
1981–1984 | Recreativo | ||
1984–1985 | Cartagena | ||
1985–1986 | Deportivo La Coruña | ||
1986–1988 | Logroñés | ||
1988–1989 | Sporting Gijón | ||
1990 | Basque Country | ||
1992 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
1994–1997 | Alavés | ||
1998 | Levante | ||
1998–2000 | Cartagonova | ||
2001–2003 | Alavés B | ||
2003 | Alavés | ||
2003–2005 | Alavés B | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Jesús 'Txutxi' Aranguren Merino (26 December 1944 – 21 March 2011) was a Spanish football defender and coach.
His 13-year professional career was solely associated with Athletic de Bilbao, with which he played in nearly 400 official games, winning two Copa del Rey trophies.
Born in Portugalete, Biscay, Aranguren joined Basque Country giants Athletic Bilbao's youth system at the age of 16, from neighbouring Sestao Sport Club. On 18 November 1962, one month shy of his 18th birthday, he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, playing the entire 2–1 away win at Córdoba CF, and finished his first season with 18 appearances for the main squad.
Aranguren would be an important defensive unit for Athletic in the following 11 seasons, starting in 225 of the 229 games he appeared in the league for the club, which he helped to two Copa del Rey trophies. After no games in the 1974–75 campaign he retired from football, aged only 30; during his spell with the club he scored five own goals to another legendary club player, José Ángel Iribar.
Aranguren started managing at his only club, being in charge of its youth teams first, then the reserves. Subsequently, he spent nine seasons in the second division, starting with another local side, Deportivo Alavés, and achieving promotion in 1987 with CD Logroñés, a first-ever for the Riojan. Also under his guidance, the club managed to maintain its status in the following season.