1. Overview
Alberto Ormaetxea Ibarlucea (Alberto Ormaetxea IbarluceaSpanish; 7 April 1939 - 28 October 2005) was a prominent Spanish football figure who excelled both as a defender and a coach. His career was deeply intertwined with Real Sociedad, a club where he spent the majority of his playing days and later achieved his most significant managerial successes. Ormaetxea is particularly renowned for leading Real Sociedad to their only two La Liga titles in the early 1980s, marking a golden era for the club. This article details his journey from a local player in Eibar to a celebrated coach, highlighting his contributions to Spanish football.
2. Early Life and Career
Alberto Ormaetxea Ibarlucea was born on 7 April 1939, in Eibar, a town located in the Gipuzkoa province of the Basque Autonomous Community in Spain. He began his senior football career with his local club, SD Eibar, making his debut in 1958. During the 1957-58 season, SD Eibar experienced relegation from the Segunda División. The following year, in 1959, Ormaetxea was acquired by Real Sociedad, who immediately loaned him back to SD Eibar for the 1959-60 season.
3. Playing Career
Ormaetxea's playing career was primarily characterized by his long tenure at Real Sociedad, where he developed from a reserve player into a first-team regular.
3.1. Clubs
After his initial stint and loan spell with SD Eibar, Ormaetxea joined Real Sociedad's reserve team in 1959, spending two seasons there. In the summer of 1962, he was promoted to the first team. This coincided with Real Sociedad's recent relegation from La Liga after the 1961-62 season. Ormaetxea played a crucial role in helping the club secure promotion back to the top flight at the end of the 1966-67 campaign. He remained with Real Sociedad until his retirement in 1974.
3.2. Position and Style of Play
During his active playing career, Ormaetxea primarily operated as a defender. He began his career as a right-back but later demonstrated versatility by switching flanks and playing as a left-back as well. He was known for his consistent performances in the defensive line.
3.3. Career Statistics and Retirement
Ormaetxea's most notable season in the top tier was 1969-70, where he started in all 28 of his league appearances and scored two goals, contributing to the Txuriurdinwhite and blueSpanish (Real Sociedad's nickname) finishing in seventh position in La Liga. He retired from playing football in 1974 at the age of 35, primarily due to persistent injury problems. Throughout his career, he appeared in a total of 280 games across all competitions for Real Sociedad.
4. Coaching Career
Immediately following his retirement as a player, Alberto Ormaetxea transitioned into coaching, beginning a highly successful period with Real Sociedad before a brief stint elsewhere.
4.1. Real Sociedad Manager
In 1974, Ormaetxea joined Real Sociedad's coaching staff as an assistant manager. His dedication and understanding of the club led to his appointment as the head coach in 1978, succeeding José Antonio Irulegui. Under his leadership, Real Sociedad experienced their most successful period in history, securing two consecutive national championship titles in 1981 and 1982.
Beyond the league titles, Ormaetxea also guided the team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey in both the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. Notably, in the 1979-80 season, Real Sociedad narrowly missed out on the league title, finishing just one point behind Real Madrid CF. Furthermore, combining the 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons, Ormaetxea's team established an impressive record of 38 matches without defeat, a record that stood for several decades. He left his managerial role at Real Sociedad in 1985.
4.2. Other Coaching Stints
After his highly successful tenure at Real Sociedad, Ormaetxea had a brief management spell at Hércules CF in September 1986, but he resigned after only one month in charge. Following this, he retired from professional football management. In his post-professional career, Ormaetxea remained connected to football by working with Real Sociedad's veterans, participating in recreational matches. He also ventured into journalism, contributing articles for the newspaper El Diario Vasco. In 2005, he publicly supported Miguel Ángel Fuentes during the latter's campaign for the presidency of Real Sociedad.
5. Honours and Achievements
Alberto Ormaetxea achieved significant success both as a player and, more notably, as a manager with Real Sociedad.
5.1. As Player
Real Sociedad
- Segunda División: 1966-67
5.2. As Manager
Real Sociedad
- La Liga: 1980-81, 1981-82
- Supercopa de España: 1982
6. Personal Life and Commemoration
After concluding his professional coaching career, Alberto Ormaetxea remained engaged with the football community and public life. He continued to play football with Real Sociedad's veteran players and contributed as a journalist for El Diario Vasco. His enduring connection to Real Sociedad was further demonstrated by his support for Miguel Ángel Fuentes in the 2005 club presidential elections. In recognition of his profound impact and achievements with Real Sociedad, a bust of Alberto Ormaetxea is proudly displayed at the club's home stadium, Anoeta Stadium, in San Sebastián, serving as a permanent tribute to his legacy.
7. Death
Alberto Ormaetxea died on 28 October 2005, in San Sebastián, the capital city of the Gipuzkoa province. He passed away at the age of 66 after a prolonged battle with illness.