Full name Jesus Aranguren Merino Name Jesus Aranguren Height 1.69 m (5 ft 6 ⁄2 in) | Place of death Barakaldo, Spain | |
Date of birth (1944-12-26)26 December 1944 Date of death 21 March 2011(2011-03-21) (aged 66) | ||
Place of birth Portugalete, Spain | ||
Jesús 'Txutxi' Aranguren Merino (26 December 1944 – 21 March 2011) was a Spanish football defender and coach.
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His 13-year professional career was solely associated with Athletic de Bilbao, with which he played in nearly 400 official games, winning two Copa del Rey trophies.
Playing career
Born in Portugalete, Biscay, Aranguren joined Basque Country giants Athletic Bilbao's youth system at the age of 16, from neighbouring Sestao Sport Club. On 18 November 1962, one month shy of his 18th birthday, he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, playing the entire 2–1 away win at Córdoba CF, and finished his first season with 18 appearances for the main squad.
Aranguren would be an important defensive unit for Athletic in the following 11 seasons, starting in 225 of the 229 games he appeared in the league for the club, which he helped to two Copa del Rey trophies. After no games in the 1974–75 campaign he retired from football, aged only 30; during his spell with the club he scored five own goals to another legendary club player, José Ángel Iribar.
Coaching career
Aranguren started managing at his only club, being in charge of its youth teams first, then the reserves. Subsequently, he spent nine seasons in the second division, starting with another local side, Deportivo Alavés, and achieving promotion in 1987 with CD Logroñés, a first-ever for the Riojan. Also under his guidance, the club managed to maintain its status in the following season.
After one year with Sporting de Gijón, Aranguren managed Athletic Bilbao during fifteen games in the 1991–92 season, following the dismissal of his former club teammate Iñaki Sáez. With six wins, two draws and seven losses, he eventually placed the team out of the relegation zone (14th position).
In 1994, Aranguren returned to Alavés, winning promotion in his first year, and staying with the team for a further two seasons, the second ending on 16 February 1997 following a 2–3 home loss against RCD Mallorca. In the following years, he worked mainly with Alavés' B-team. However, on 29 April 2003, he replaced Mané at the helm of the main squad, for the final seven games of the season, which ended in top flight relegation.
Death
Aranguren retired from management in 2005, to care for his sick wife. On 21 March 2011, whilst accompanying her to a checkup in the Cruces Hospital in Barakaldo, he succumbed to a heart attack, dying at the age of 66.