Place of birth Menaka, Spain Name Miguel Lotina Years Team Role Footballer | 1976–1977 CD Munguia Height 1.76 m 1977–1978 Gernika | |
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Full name Miguel Angel Lotina Oruechebarria Date of birth (1957-06-18) 18 June 1957 (age 58) Similar People Ze Castro, Victor Fernandez, Aythami Artiles, Brayan Angulo, Emmanuel Culio | ||
Miguel ngel lotina fast facts
Miguel Ángel Lotina Oruechebarría (born 18 June 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of Japanese club Tokyo Verdy.
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Playing career
Born in Meñaka, Biscay, Lotina started playing football with local Gernika Club, representing CD Castellón from 1981 to 1983. In his only season in La Liga he scored three goals in 21 games for the Valencians, who ranked 18th and last.
In the 1983 summer, Lotina signed with CD Logroñés. After netting 22 goals in two Segunda División seasons combined with the Riojan side – also representing them in Segunda División B – he contributed with two in 14 matches in the 1986–87 campaign as the team promoted to the top flight for the first time ever, after finishing second to champions Valencia CF; he retired from the game in 1988 at the age of 31, without having appeared in the first division with his main club.
Manager career
After starting coaching with Logroñés' reserves, Lotina managed the club in two separate stints in the 90's (11 games). In 1995–96, whilst in charge of CD Numancia, he helped the third level team reach the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey after ousting top flight sides Real Sociedad, Racing de Santander and Sporting de Gijón before bowing out to eventual finalists FC Barcelona 3–5 on aggregate.
After his top level debuts with Logroñés in the 1996–97 season, being one of five managers as the team finished in 22nd and last position, Lotina's next years were spent in division two, with CD Badajoz, Numancia and CA Osasuna, helping the second promote to the top tier for the first time ever in 1999 and the third achieve the same feat the following year after a six-year absence. He remained with the Navarrese for two further campaigns, as they consecutively retained their status.
In 2002–03, Lotina led Celta de Vigo to its first participation in the UEFA Champions League, after the Galicians finished fourth. In the following season, however, even though the team progressed through the group stage by notably defeating A.C. Milan 2–1 at the San Siro, he was sacked after 21 rounds, with the club eventually being relegated.
In 2004–05, Lotina coached RCD Espanyol to qualification to the UEFA Cup, after finishing fifth. The year 2006 brought him his first football trophy, as the team won the domestic cup against Real Zaragoza (4–1) in the manager's second season. In the 2006–07 campaign, he returned to his native region after replacing sacked José Mari Bakero at the helm of 20th-placed Real Sociedad, but the Basques were relegated from the first division for the first time in 40 years, after ranking second from bottom.
For 2007–08, Lotina returned to Galicia and joined Deportivo de La Coruña. After a poor start, he more often than not switched to a 5–3–2 formation, going on to finish the year comfortably placed in mid-table and reach the UEFA Intertoto Cup, but being eventually relegated in 2011 as the club also struggled financially – Depor only managed to score nine goals away from home all year, being doomed in the last round after failing to score in a 0–2 home loss against Valencia; on 23 May of that year, he announced his departure from the club.
On 19 March 2012, Lotina became Villarreal CF's third coach of the season, replacing José Francisco Molina following a 0–1 away loss against Levante UD, with the team dangerously close to the relegation zone (17th), and eventually relegated as 18th, which meant that the club's reserves, which competed in the second level, were also forced to drop down a level in June.
On 21 June 2014, after a brief spell in the Cypriot First Division, Lotina was appointed head coach of newly promoted Qatar Stars League side Al-Shahaniya Sports Club.