José Mari Bakero

José Mari Bakero

Bakero in 2010
Personal information
Full name	José María Bakero Escudero
Date of birth	(1963-02-11) 11 February 1963
Place of birth	Goizueta, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1988	Real Sociedad	223	(67)
1988–1997	Barcelona	260	(72)
1997	Veracruz	17	(3)
Total		500	(142)
International career
1980	Spain U16	3	(1)
1980–1981	Spain U18	9	(2)
1982–1986	Spain U21	5	(1)
1986	Spain U23	1	(0)
1987–1994	Spain	30	(7)
Managerial career
1999	Puebla
2005	Málaga B
2006	Real Sociedad
2009–2010	Polonia Warsaw
2010–2012	Lech Poznań
2013	Juan Aurich
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

José María Bakero Escudero (born 11 February 1963) is a Spanish retired footballer and a current manager. Having played mainly for Real Sociedad and Barcelona, he began his career as a forward (not being a prolific goalscorer) but was converted into an attacking midfielder, who possessed passing and netting ability (with both his right foot and his head, the second despite his short stature) and great leadership skills.

During a 17-year professional career Bakero amassed La Liga totals of 483 games and 139 goals, winning a total of 18 titles. In the 2000s, he embarked on a coaching career.

A Spanish international during seven years, Bakero represented the nation in two World Cups and one European Championship.

Club career

Bakero training with Spain in 1994

Born in Goizueta, Navarre, Bakero made his senior debut with Real Sociedad on 6 September 1980 when only 17, coming from the bench in a 2–3 loss at Valencia CF, and finished his debut season with 27 appearances but no goals. Appearing only in two games in 1981–82 he was however part of the Basque sides which won back-to-back La Liga titles, his teammates including Luis Arconada, Jesús María Zamora and Jesús María Satrústegui.

In 1988 Bakero signed for FC Barcelona, where he was joined by several other Real and Basque players: Txiki Begiristain, Luis López Rekarte, with Julio Salinas coming from Atlético Madrid but having also played with Athletic Bilbao, as another Real player, Ion Andoni Goikoetxea, joined two years later – they would form the backbone of the legendary Dream Team. Between 1988 and 1997 he (who scored 47 league goals in his first four years combined) played 329 matches overall for the Catalans, being instrumental in their league conquests from 1990 to 1994 and also appearing in the historic 1992 European Cup Final; in the latter tournament, as his team was trailing 0–2 at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the second round after a 3–1 home win, his 90th-minute header secured qualification.

Having appeared scarcely during the 1996–97 campaign, his last game coming on 18 November 1996 in a 6–1 home thrashing of Real Valladolid in which he scored, Bakero retired later that season, after a small abroad stint with Mexico's CD Veracruz. He also had unsuccessful trials with Middlesbrough and Norwich City.

After retiring in 1997 Bakero moved into coaching, first as an assistant, under both Llorenç Serra Ferrer and Louis van Gaal. He also worked as a sports adviser with the Generalitat de Catalunya and, in 2004–05, had his first head coaching experience, joining Málaga CF's B-side in January 2005 and helping it narrowly escape relegation from the second division.

In August 2005 Bakero was appointed director of football at first team Real Sociedad, and would be promoted to coach towards the end of the 2005–06 season. Seven games into the following campaign, he was sacked.

In October 2007 Bakero joined Ronald Koeman's (another Barcelona teammate) coaching staff at Valencia, being dismissed in April 2008. On 10 November 2009, more than a year after his last job, he signed with Polonia Warsaw, again as head coach. While the team was last in the league at that point, not only did he manage to prevent relegation, but also led the club to a win against city neighbours Legia Warsaw, the first in ten years; he was sacked on 13 September 2010, after suffering the first loss of the season.

On 3 November 2010 Bakero signed with another team in the Polish top level, Lech Poznań. In his official debut he led the club to a 3–1 win against Manchester City, in the season's UEFA Europa League.

On 25 February 2012, following a 0–3 away loss against Ruch Chorzów, Bakero was relieved of his duties.

International career

Bakero had 30 caps for Spain, netting on seven occasions. His debut came on 14 October 1987 during an UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Austria: he replaced future Barça teammate Francisco Carrasco in a 2–0 home win.

Bakero would subsequently represent the nation at Euro 1988, as well as in two FIFA World Cup editions, 1990 and 1994.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	18 November 1987	Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	Albania	1–0	5–0	Euro 1988 qualifying
2.	18 November 1987	Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	Albania	2–0	5–0	Euro 1988 qualifying
3.	18 November 1987	Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	Albania	5–0	5–0	Euro 1988 qualifying
4.	19 December 1990	Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain	Albania	9–0	9–0	Euro 1992 qualifying
5.	20 February 1991	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	France	0–1	3–1	Euro 1992 qualifying
6.	16 December 1992	Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain	Latvia	1–0	5–0	1994 World Cup qualification
7.	24 February 1993	Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	Lithuania	2–0	5–0	1994 World Cup qualification

Personal life

Bakero was the third of eleven children. His brothers Santiago (also Santi) and Jon, were also footballers, and both forwards: the former played five seasons in the first division, with Hércules CF and Real Sociedad (where he coincided with José Mari from 1986–89), while the latter did not appear in higher than the second level (where he played namely for FC Barcelona B). After he joined Polonia as a coach he was accompanied, at his request, by Jon, as an assistant.

Bakero's sister, Itziar, was also a footballer, who played at the international level.

Honours

Real Sociedad

• La Liga: 1980–81, 1981–82
• Copa del Rey: 1986–87
• Supercopa de España: 1982

Barcelona

• European Cup: 1991–92
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1988–89, 1996–97
• UEFA Super Cup: 1992
• La Liga: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
• Copa del Rey: 1989–90, 1996–97
• Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996

Managerial statistics

As of 8 September 2013.

Team	From	To	Competition	Record
				G	W	D	L	Win %	GF	GA	GD
Puebla	July 1999	September 1999	Liga MX	8	1	3	4	12.50	6	11	–5
			Total	8	1	3	4	12.50	6	11	–5
Málaga B	January 2005	August 2005	Segunda División	22	6	6	10	27.27	13	25	–12
			Total	22	6	6	10	27.27	13	25	–12
Real Sociedad	23 March 2006	26 October 2006	La Liga	16	3	5	8	18.75	18	24	–6
			Copa del Rey	1	0	0	1	00.00	1	4	–3
			Total	17	3	5	9	17.65	19	28	–9
Polonia Warsaw	10 November 2009	13 September 2010	Ekstraklasa	22	9	6	7	40.91	23	20	+3
			Total	22	9	6	7	40.91	23	20	+3
Lech Poznań	3 November 2010	25 February 2012	Ekstraklasa	39	18	8	13	46.15	53	27	+26
			Polish Cup	7	4	2	1	57.14	13	7	+6
			Europe	5	3	1	1	60.00	6	4	+2
			Total	51	25	11	15	49.02	72	38	+34
Juan Aurich	5 January 2013	7 September 2013	Peruvian Primera División	31	8	9	14	25.81	38	39	–1
			Copa Sudamericana	2	0	0	2	00.00	2	6	–4
			Total	33	8	9	16	24.24	40	45	–5
Career totals			League	138	45	37	56	32.61	151	146	+5
			Cup	8	4	2	2	50.00	14	11	+3
			Europe	5	3	1	1	60.00	6	4	+2
			South America	2	0	0	2	00.00	2	6	–4
			Total	153	52	40	61	33.99	173	167	+6

External links

• José Mari Bakero profile at BDFutbol
• José Mari Bakero manager profile at BDFutbol
• National team data (Spanish)
• José Mari Bakero at National-Football-Teams.com
• José Mari Bakero – FIFA competition record
• MedioTiempo profile (Spanish)