Rafael Iriondo
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Iriondo Aurtenechea | ||
| Date of birth | 24 October 1918 | ||
| Place of birth | Guernica, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 24 February 2016 (aged 97) | ||
| Place of death | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gernika | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1940 | Atlético Tetuán | ||
| 1940–1953 | Athletic Bilbao | 258 | (79) |
| 1953 | Barakaldo | 3 | (1) |
| 1953–1955 | Real Sociedad | 28 | (9) |
| 1955 | Indautxu | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 290 | (89) | |
| National team | |||
| 1946–1947 | Spain | 2 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1955–1956 | Indautxu | ||
| 1958–1959 | Alavés | ||
| 1961–1962 | Barakaldo | ||
| 1968–1969 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1970 | Español | ||
| 1971–1972 | Zaragoza | ||
| 1972–1974 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 1974–1976 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1976–1978 | Betis | ||
| 1980 | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| 1981–1982 | Betis | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Rafael Iriondo Aurtenechea (24 October 1918 – 24 February 2016) was a Spanish football forward and manager.
He amassed La Liga totals of 286 games and 88 goals over the course of 15 seasons, with Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad. He subsequently became a manager, working for nearly 30 years and being in charge of both clubs.
Born in Guernica, Biscay, Iriondo arrived at Basque giants Athletic Bilbao in 1940, from Atlético Tetuán. He made his La Liga debut on 29 September in a 2–2 draw at Valencia CF and, during his 13-year spell with the club, would form an historic offensive partnership with Agustín Gaínza, José Luis Panizo and Telmo Zarra, helping Athletic to the 1942–43 league and four Copa del Generalísimo trophies.
After 328 official games for Athletic with 115 goals, Iriondo moved to another team in the region, Barakaldo CF, in 1953. After a couple of months, however, he returned to the top division and joined Real Sociedad, retiring shortly after the end of the 1954–55 season.
Iriondo started coaching immediately after retiring, with modest SD Indautxu in the second division. He continued in his native Basque Country in the following years, with Deportivo Alavés and Barakaldo.
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