Ander Garitano

Ander Garitano

Personal information
Full name	Ander Garitano Urquizu
Date of birth	(1969-02-26) 26 February 1969
Place of birth	Derio, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1986–1988	Bilbao Athletic	67	(15)
1988–1996	Athletic Bilbao	234	(35)
1996–2002	Zaragoza	147	(15)
Total		448	(65)
International career
1984–1985	Spain U16	9	(3)
1986	Spain U18	2	(1)
1989–1990	Spain U21	5	(0)
Managerial career
2008	Zaragoza
2009	Zaragoza (youth)
2009–2010	Zaragoza B
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Garitano and the second or maternal family name is Urquizu.

Ander Garitano Urquizu (born 26 February 1969) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left midfielder, and a current coach.

His career as a player – almost entirely spent in La Liga – was solely associated with two clubs, Athletic Bilbao and Zaragoza.

Club career

Born in Derio, Biscay, Garitano began his professional career at local powerhouse Athletic Bilbao. After apperaring twice in the closing stages of 1987–88 he quickly imposed himself as a first-choice player with good free kick skills, scoring 35 La Liga goals during nine seasons; on 12 March 1988, two weeks after his 19th birthday, he made his official debut, starting in a 0–5 away loss against Real Madrid.

Garitano moved to Real Zaragoza in 1996, and played there until his retirement in 2002, appearing in a further 147 league games and netting 15 times. He was still regularly used the Aragonese side's 2000–01 victorious run in the Copa del Rey, and finally retired in the following summer at 33 – Zaragoza suffered top flight relegation – with more than 500 official matches to his credit; from 1986 to 1988 he played 61 contests for Bilbao Athletic, with that team in Segunda División.

Subsequently Garitano moved into coaching, first taking charge of Zaragoza's youth teams. In mid-January 2008 he replaced sacked Víctor Fernández, first appearing in a Spanish Cup round-of-16 tie against Racing de Santander, a 2–4 loss (3–5 on aggregate).

Just two days after his only league game, a 3–1 home win over Real Murcia, Garitano quit the job, quoting a lack of commitment. Zaragoza would have a further two coaches until the end of the campaign, which ended in relegation.

For 2008–09 Garitano returned to Real Zaragoza, now as a youth coach. However, in late 2009, he moved to the club's B-side, following José Aurelio Gay's promotion as first-team coach.

Personal life

Garitano is the uncle of another footballer (and midfielder), Gaizka Garitano whom, after unsuccessfully graduating from Athletic's academy, went on to represent, among others, neighbours Real Sociedad and Deportivo Alavés.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bilbao Athletic	1985–86	4	0	?	?	-	-	-	-	4	0
	1986–87	34	4	?	?	-	-	-	-	34	4
	1987–88	27	9	?	?	-	-	-	-	27	9
	1988–89	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2
	Total	67	15	0	0	-	-	-	-	67	15
Athletic Bilbao	1987–88	2	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	2	0
	1988–89	23	4	4	0	2	0	-	-	29	4
	1989–90	36	5	4	2	-	-	-	-	40	7
	1990–91	30	4	5	2	-	-	-	-	35	6
	1991–92	29	7	7	3	-	-	-	-	36	10
	1992–93	27	3	2	0	-	-	-	-	29	3
	1993–94	26	6	3	0	-	-	-	-	29	6
	1994–95	35	4	3	0	6	0	-	-	44	4
	1995–96	26	2	5	0	-	-	-	-	31	2
	Total	234	35	33	7	8	0	-	-	275	42
Zaragoza	1996–97	37	3	3	0	-	-	-	-	40	3
	1997–98	18	7	5	3	-	-	-	-	23	10
	1998–99	19	1	1	0	-	-	-	-	20	1
	1999–00	30	4	5	1	-	-	-	-	35	5
	2000–01	19	0	7	0	2	0	-	-	28	0
	2001–02	24	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	28	0
	Total	147	15	22	4	5	0	0	0	174	19
Career totals		448	65	55	11	13	0	0	0	516	76

Honours

Zaragoza

• Copa del Rey: 2000–01

External links

• Ander Garitano profile at BDFutbol
• Ander Garitano manager profile at BDFutbol
• Athletic Bilbao profile