Place of birth Mondragon, Spain Name Inaxio Kortabarria Years Team Role Footballer | 1968–1971 San Sebastian Height 1.82 m 1971–1985 Real Sociedad | |
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Full name Inaxio Kortabarria Abarrategi Date of birth (1950-07-31) 31 July 1950 (age 65) | ||
Inaxio Kortabarria Abarrategi (born 31 July 1950) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender.
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Club career
Kortabarria was born in Mondragón, Gipuzkoa. During his career he played solely for Real Sociedad, making his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 19 September 1971 against Deportivo de La Coruña and finishing his first season with 14 appearances.
From there onwards, Kortabarria rarely missed a game, contributing with 30 and 31 matches respectively as the Basques won back-to-back leagues (whilst adding five and six goals, his career-bests) with him as club captain. In the last round of the 1980–81 campaign, he opened the scoresheet as Real drew 2–2 at Sporting de Gijón to eventually edge Real Madrid on goal difference.
After losing his place to younger Agustín Gajate, Alberto Górriz and Juan Antonio Larrañaga, all brought up in the club's youth ranks, Kortabarria chose to retire from the game at nearly 35, at the end of 1984–85. He played in 355 Spanish top flight games (442 overall, eighth all-time for Real Sociedad).
International career
Kortabarria received four caps for Spain, during less than one year. His debut came on 22 May 1976, in a 0–2 loss in West Germany for UEFA Euro 1976's qualifying stages.
Political views
On 5 December 1976, before a game against Athletic Bilbao, Kortabarria and the opposing captain, José Ángel Iribar, carried out the Ikurriña, the Basque flag, and placed it ceremonially on the centre-circle. This was the first public display of the flag since the death of Francisco Franco, but it was still illegal.