Luis María Echeberría
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis María Echeberría Igartua | ||
| Date of birth | 24 March 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Asua, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 19 October 2016 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Las Arenas, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Getxo | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1958–1960 | Getxo | ||
| 1960–1961 | Basconia | 38 | (0) |
| 1961–1972 | Athletic Bilbao | 259 | (1) |
| 1972–1973 | Barakaldo | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 306 | (1) | |
| National team | |||
| 1961 | Spain B | 1 | (0) |
| 1962–1963 | Spain | 4 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Luis María Echeberría Igartua (24 March 1940 – 19 October 2016) was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender.
Born in Asua, Biscay, Echeberría signed for Athletic Bilbao in 1961 at the age of 21, from Basque Country neighbours CD Basconia, at that time still not the club's farm team. He made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 10 September 1961 in a 1–2 away loss against Sevilla FC, and finished his debut season with 29 league appearances (out of a possible 30) as his team finished fifth.
In the following years, Echeberría would be part of a legendary Athletic defense that also featured José Ángel Iribar in goal, Jesús Aranguren and Iñaki Sáez, helping the Lions to the 1969 Copa del Rey and appearing in more than 300 official games with his main club. He retired from football in 1973 (aged 33) after one season with Barakaldo CF, in Segunda División.
Echeberría earned four caps for Spain during nearly one year (exactly 11 months and three weeks). His debut came on 6 June 1962 as the national team lost 1–2 against Brazil in that year's FIFA World Cup, in Viña del Mar, for an eventual group stage exit.
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