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Iñaki Sáez

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Iñaki Sáez
Personal information
Full name José Ignacio Sáez Ruiz[1]
Date of birth (1943-04-23) 23 April 1943 (age 83)[1]
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain[1]
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position Defender
Youth career
1958–1961 San Vicente
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1962 Barakaldo
1962–1974 Athletic Bilbao 263 (7)
International career
1968 Spain 3 (0)
Managerial career
1974–1978 Athletic Bilbao (youth)
1978–1979 Bilbao Athletic
1980–1981 Athletic Bilbao
1982–1983 Bilbao Athletic
1986 Athletic Bilbao
1987–1991 Bilbao Athletic
1991–1992 Athletic Bilbao
1993–1994 Las Palmas
1995 Las Palmas
1996 Albacete
1996–2001 Spain U18
1996–2002 Spain U21
1997–2001 Spain U20
2000 Spain U23
2001–2002 Spain U19
2002–2004 Spain
2004–2008 Spain U21
2005 Spain U20
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Ignacio "Iñaki" Sáez Ruiz (born 23 April 1943) is a Spanish former football player and manager.

A defender, he spent the vast majority of his professional career with Athletic Bilbao. He appeared in more than 300 official games in 12 seasons, and later coached it at various levels.

In addition to two other clubs, Sáez managed the Spain national team for two years, being in charge at Euro 2004.

Playing career

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Born in Bilbao, Basque Country, Sáez joined local giants Athletic Bilbao in 1962, from neighbouring Barakaldo. He totalled 46 La Liga games – with five goals – in his first two seasons, but only 20 the following three, due to injuries.[2]

Again healthy, Sáez appeared regularly for Athletic from 1967 to 1974, helping the Lions to two Copa del Rey trophies, and retired at the age of 31, having appeared in 338 competitive matches for the club.[2] He was part of a legendary defense that also featured José Ángel Iribar in goal, Luis María Echeberría and Jesús Aranguren.[3]

Sáez earned three caps for Spain in one month in 1968, his first and his last appearance being against the same opponent, England, in two losses for the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying stage (1–0 in London, 2–1 in Madrid).[4]

Coaching career

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Club

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Sáez began a managerial career immediately after retiring, taking charge of Athletic Bilbao's youth sides for five years.[2] Only two games into the 1980–81 season, Austrian Helmut Senekowitsch was dismissed,[5] and he led the team to a final ninth position, and returned again to the reserves, helping it to a Segunda División return in 1983.[6][2]

Sáez again took the reins of the main squad in 1985–86, replacing Javier Clemente for the final 13 fixtures and leading Athletic to the third place, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.[7][2] In the following four seasons, he coached the reserves in the second tier, being again promoted to the first team midway through 1990–91, again taking over from Clemente, and being himself fired after round 23 of the following campaign, as they only finished two points above the relegation zone.[8][2]

After two spells with Las Palmas, both in the third division,[9] Sáez was appointed at top-flight Albacete, replacing Benito Floro in mid-March 1996, his first game in charge being a 2–0 away loss against Real Madrid as the season ended in relegation via the playoffs.[10]

Spain

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In the summer of 1996, Sáez was appointed the Spain under-21 team manager, winning the UEFA European Championship two years later after defeating Greece.[11] Also being in charge of the under-20s, he led them to the FIFA World Cup of the category in 1999 in Nigeria.[12][13]

Sáez was named José Antonio Camacho's successor at the helm of the senior team in 2002.[14] He remained in the post until the end of Euro 2004 – which ended in group-stage exit – collecting 15 wins, six draws and two losses in 23 matches.[15][16][17]

Subsequently, Sáez returned to the under-21 team.[18]

Honours

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Player

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Athletic Bilbao

Manager

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Bilbao Athletic

Spain U18

Spain U19

Spain U20

Spain U21

Spain U23

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "Iñaki Sáez" (in Spanish). Aupa Athletic. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Iñaki Sáez cumple 77 años" [Iñaki Sáez turns 77] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "'Txutxi' Aranguren, un defensa total" ['Txutxi' Aranguren, a complete defender]. El País (in Spanish). 22 March 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "Fallece la esposa del exseleccionador español Iñaki Sáez" [Death of former Spanish national team manager Iñaki Sáez's wife] (in Spanish). Iusport. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Río, Endika (10 September 2007). "Adiós a Helmut Senekowitsch" [Goodbye to Helmut Senekowitsch]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (28 June 2015). "El Bilbao Athletic, una orquesta variopinta de aprendices" [Bilbao Athletic, a motley crew of apprentices]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Tejedor Carnicero, José Vicente. "Spain, Final Tables 1979–1989". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Suso, Ramón (12 November 2014). "El Athletic, con tantas dificultades como hace 23 años" [Athletic, struggling just like 23 years ago]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (1 May 1999). "Iñaki Sáez". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Ortuzar, César (3 January 2012). "El 'queso mecánico' se engrasa" [The 'clockwork cheese' gets greased up]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  11. 1 2 "1998: Iván Pérez applies finishing touch". UEFA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "España no pasa del empate ante Zambia" [Spain can only draw against Zambia]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 8 April 1999. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  13. 1 2 García, Miguel Ángel (17 April 2009). "Qué fue de los campeones del mundo sub20" [What happened to the under-20 world champions]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  14. ↑ "Saez seeks Spanish success". BBC Sport. 24 May 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  15. ↑ Modia, Iván (20 May 2004). "Sáez selects Spain squad". UEFA. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Saez ends reign in Spain". BBC Sport. 25 June 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  17. ↑ "FOTO INTERACTIVA | El primer once de Iñaki Sáez" [INTERACTIVE PHOTO | Iñaki Sáez's first eleven] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Empate de España sub-21 en el retorno de Iñaki Sáez" [Spanish under-21s draw in return of Iñaki Sáez]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 17 August 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  19. ↑ Aramendia, Arkaitz (29 June 2015). "Los 'cachorros', cuyo anterior ascenso data de 1989, fueron segundos en 1984" [The 'pups', whose previous promotion dates back to 1989, came second in 1984]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "España jugará por el tercer puesto en el Europeo Sub 18" [Spain will play for third place at the Under 18 European Championship]. El País (in Spanish). 29 July 1997. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "España, tercera en el Europeo sub 18" [Spain, third at the under 18 European Championship]. El País (in Spanish). 1 August 1997. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "España vence a Alemania y se proclama campeona de Europa Sub-19" [Spain beat Germany and are crowned Under-19 European champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 28 July 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  23. ↑ "FOTO INTERACTIVA: La medalla de plata más épica, en Sídney" [INTERACTIVE PHOTO: The most epic silver medal, in Sydney] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  24. ↑ Fernandez, Laura (24 June 2020). "¿Qué fue de la España de Sídney 2000? Repasamos las carreras de los 18 futbolistas que ganaron la medalla de plata" [What happened to the Spain of Sydney 2000? We revisit the careers of the 18 footballers who won the silver medal] (in Spanish). International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
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