Gaizka Garitano

Gaizka Garitano Aguirre (born 9 July 1975) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently manager of UD Almería.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Garitano and the second or maternal family name is Aguirre.
Gaizka Garitano
Personal information
Full name Gaizka Garitano Aguirre
Date of birth (1975-07-09) 9 July 1975
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Almería (manager)
Youth career
1989–1993 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1998 Bilbao Athletic 112 (24)
1996–1997 → Lleida (loan) 14 (0)
1997–1999 Athletic Bilbao 0 (0)
1998–1999 → Eibar (loan) 18 (1)
1999–2001 Ourense 70 (8)
2001–2005 Eibar 146 (15)
2005–2008 Real Sociedad 81 (9)
2008–2009 Alavés 29 (2)
Total 470 (59)
International career
2003–2007 Basque Country 5 (0)
Managerial career
2009–2010 Eibar (assistant)
2010–2012 Eibar B
2012–2015 Eibar
2015 Valladolid
2016–2017 Deportivo La Coruña
2017–2018 Bilbao Athletic
2018–2021 Athletic Bilbao
2021–2023 Eibar
2023– Almería
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Over 11 seasons as a player, he amassed Segunda División totals of 315 matches and 37 goals, mainly with Bilbao Athletic and Eibar. In La Liga, he represented Real Sociedad during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 campaigns.

Garitano entered coaching in 2009 with Eibar, being put in charge of the first team in 2012. He won consecutive promotions in his first two years, and reached the top division with the club in 2014. In the competition, he also managed Deportivo and Athletic Bilbao.

Playing career

Garitano was born in Bilbao, Basque Country. Grown through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao, he would never make it past the reserves, his sole first-team appearance being as a late substitute in a UEFA Cup win away to UC Sampdoria in 1997.[1] He also served loans at UE Lleida and SD Eibar.[2]

In the summer of 1999, Garitano joined Segunda División B team CD Ourense. He finally settled at Eibar in the Segunda División – his second spell – and, in the 2004–05 season, as captain, led the side to a fourth place in the league, with chances of a historic La Liga promotion until the last matchday.[3]

Garitano made his first top-flight appearances with Real Sociedad at the age of 30,[4][5] his debut coming on 27 August 2005 in a 3–0 away defeat in the Basque derby.[6] After three seasons in San Sebastián, during which the club was relegated in 2007, he joined neighbours Deportivo Alavés, retiring in June 2009 at 34 after their relegation to the third division.[7]

Coaching career

Eibar

Immediately after retiring, having appeared in more than 300 matches in Spain's second tier, Garitano moved into coaching, serving as assistant at also recently-relegated Eibar. After a stint in charge of the reserves he was appointed first-team manager for the 2012–13 campaign,[8] which included the elimination of Athletic Bilbao – the previous year's finalists – from the Copa del Rey,[9] and ended with promotion.[10]

Garitano repeated the feat the following season, topping the table and leading Eibar to the club's first ever top-division promotion.[11] In June 2014, he renewed his contract.[12]

In 2014–15, the team collected 27 points from the first 19 games but, after only eight in the following 19, was finally relegated back in spite of a 3–0 home win over Córdoba CF in the last matchday (they would later be reinstated at the expense of Elche CF).[13] Subsequently, Garitano presented his resignation, stating he did not merit to continue.[14]

Valladolid and Deportivo

Garitano signed with Real Valladolid on 6 July 2015, replacing the fired Rubi.[15] On 21 October, as the side ranked dead last, he was dismissed.[16]

On 10 June 2016, Garitano took over for Víctor Sánchez as Deportivo de La Coruña manager.[17] Eight months later, with the team inside the relegation zone, he was sacked.[18]

Athletic Bilbao

In summer 2017, Garitano was appointed head coach of Bilbao Athletic, replacing José Ángel Ziganda who had been promoted to the first team.[19] He remained in that position until 4 December 2018, when it became his turn to be handed the senior role after Eduardo Berizzo, who had followed on from Ziganda's one-year stint, was also relieved of his duties after an even shorter spell.[20][21]

On 4 April 2019, Garitano agreed to an extension at the San Mamés Stadium to run until 30 June 2020.[22] On 1 June of the following year, having led the side to their first Spanish Cup final since 2015, he further renewed his link.[23]

Garitano was fired on 3 January 2021, with the team in ninth.[24][25]

Return to Eibar

On 7 June 2021, Garitano returned to Eibar on a two-year deal with the option of a third; José Luis Mendilibar had stepped down following the side's relegation to division two.[26] On 9 June 2023, after two consecutive eliminations in the promotion play-offs (both after the club missed out an automatic promotion spot in the last round of the regular season), he left by mutual consent.[27]

Almería

On 8 October 2023, Garitano was appointed manager of UD Almería in the top tier, signing a contract until 2025.[28]

Personal life

During his playing spell with Eibar, Garitano studied to become a journalist before beginning his sports coaching courses.[29][2] He is the son of Angel Garitano (also known as 'Ondarru') who served for many years as assistant to Mané at managerial appointments including Alavés and Athletic Bilbao,[2][30][21] and the nephew of former Athletic and Real Zaragoza midfielder Ander Garitano;[29][30] they are distantly related to Juan Urquizu who also served Athletic as player and manager,[2] while Gaizka's mother's family members include another man who performed both roles, Koldo Aguirre.[2]

Garitano is not related to fellow Basque manager Asier Garitano, who also had playing spells with Bilbao Athletic and Eibar.[31]

Managerial statistics
As of 28 October 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Eibar B Spain 25 May 2010 6 June 2012 76 21 22 33 67 95 −28 027.63 [32]
Eibar Spain 6 June 2012 9 June 2015 135 57 37 41 162 128 +34 042.22 [33]
Valladolid Spain 6 July 2015 21 October 2015 10 2 3 5 10 15 −5 020.00 [34]
Deportivo La Coruña Spain 10 June 2016 27 February 2017 27 5 9 13 32 44 −12 018.52 [35]
Bilbao Athletic Spain 7 June 2017 4 December 2018 55 28 14 13 99 46 +53 050.91 [36]
Athletic Bilbao Spain 4 December 2018 3 January 2021 89 37 23 29 107 88 +19 041.57 [37]
Eibar Spain 7 June 2021 9 June 2023 93 46 26 21 116 91 +25 049.46 [38]
Almería Spain 8 October 2023 present 2 0 0 2 3 7 −4 000.00 [39]
Total 487 196 134 157 595 514 +81 040.25 —

Honours

Manager

Eibar

References
  1. Tomati, Franco; Valente, Enrico; Grimaldi, Filippo (17 September 1997). "Samp, che brutto scivolone" [Samp, what a bad slip]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. Fernández, José M. (11 June 2016). "Alma de versolari, corazón de futbolista" [Soul of a wordsmith, heart of a footballer]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  3. De la Cuesta, Eneko (19 June 2005). "Un 'milagro' llamado Eibar" [A 'miracle' called Eibar] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. De la Cuesta, Eneko (21 June 2005). "Garitano, primer fichaje" [Garitano, first signing] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  5. "La Real ya llora en plata" [Real already cry in silver]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 18 June 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  6. "El Athletic arranca comiéndose a la Real" [Athletic start by eating Real up]. Marca (in Spanish). 27 August 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  7. Echaluce, Alberto (3 July 2009). "Gaizka Garitano negocia ser el segundo entrenador del Eibar con Viadero" [Gaizka Garitano negotiates being Eibar's assistant manager with Viadero]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. "Gaizka Garitano, nuevo entrenador del Eibar" [Gaizka Garitano, new Eibar manager]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 6 June 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. "El Eibar elimina al Athletic de la Copa del Rey" [Eibar eliminate Athletic from the Cup] (in Spanish). EITB. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  10. "El Eibar vuelve a Segunda cuatro años después" [Eibar return to Segunda four years later]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  11. "Un golazo de Jota Peleteiro lleva al Eibar a Primera división" [Jota Peleteiro wonder goal takes Eibar to First division]. Marca (in Spanish). 25 May 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  12. Chesters, Heath (21 June 2014). "Consecutive promotions earns manager Garitano a new deal at Eibar". Inside Spanish Football. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  13. "Official statement". Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  14. "Garitano se marcha del Eibar: "Un entrenador que desciende no tiene potestad para seguir"" [Garitano leaves Eibar: "A coach that gets relegated does not have the right to continue"]. Marca (in Spanish). 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  15. "Gaizka Garitano llevará el timón" [Gaizka Garitano will take the reins] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  16. Rodríguez, Héctor (21 October 2015). "El Valladolid oficializa la destitución de Gaizka Garitano" [Valladolid make dismissal of Gaizka Garitano official]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  17. "Gaizka Garitano, nuevo entrenador del Real Club Deportivo" [Gaizka Garitano, new manager of Real Club Deportivo] (in Spanish). Deportivo La Coruña. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  18. "Struggling Deportivo La Coruña sack coach Garitano after four straight defeats". The Indian Express. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  19. "Lezama technical chart". Athletic Bilbao. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  20. "Replacement of Eduardo Berizzo". Athletic Bilbao. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  21. Lowe, Sid (11 December 2018). "Athletic Bilbao would rather be relegated than compromise their values as battle at bottom looms". ESPN. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  22. "Gaizka Garitano's renewal". Athletic Bilbao. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  23. Velasco, Juanma (1 June 2020). "Athletic Club coach Gaizka Garitano signs one-year contract extension". Marca. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  24. "Athletic Club part ways with Gaizka Garitano". Athletic Bilbao. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  25. Lowe, Sid (4 January 2021). "Time runs out for Garitano at Athletic Bilbao despite winning latest 'final'". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  26. "El Eibar hace oficial el fichaje de Gaizka Garitano como nuevo entrenador" [Eibar make official the signing of Gaizka Garitano as new manager]. Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  27. "Garitano no continuará en el Eibar la próxima temporada" [Garitano will not continue at Eibar the following season] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  28. "Gaizka Garitano appointed new UD Almería head coach". UD Almería. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  29. "El sobrino de Ander es el capitán del mejor Éibar" [Ander's nephew captains best Éibar]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 12 April 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  30. Encinas, Mikel (25 January 2007). "Una familia con el corazón partido" [A family with a broken heart]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  31. Bosch, Josep (22 September 2016). "El gran duelo de los Garitano" [The great battle of the Garitanos]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  32. "Tercera División". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
    "Tercera División". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  33. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2012–13 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2013–14 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2014–15 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  34. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2015–16 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  35. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2016–17 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  36. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2017–18 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2018–19 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  37. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2018–19 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2019–20 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2020–21 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  38. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2021–22 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
    "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2022–23 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  39. "Matches Gaizka Garitano, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  40. "El Eibar, campeón de Segunda por primera vez en su historia" [Eibar, Segunda champions for the first time in their history]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 June 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
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