José Marcelino Yrízar Urbizu (5 October 1882 - 23 March 1935), better known as José Irízar was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Athletic Club and FC Barcelona.[1][2] Although he always appeared as Irizar in the sports press, on his baptismal and death certificates his surname is written with a y.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Marcelino Yrízar Urbizu | ||
| Date of birth | 5 October 1882 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Biscay, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 28 March 1935 (aged 52) | ||
| Place of death | Barcelona, Catalonia | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1903–1907 | Athletic Club | ||
| 1907–1909 | X Sporting Club | ||
| 1909–1911 | CD Español | ||
| 1911–1914 | FC Barcelona | 21 | (0) |
| 1914–1918 | Athletic Club | ||
| International career | |||
| 1910-1912 | Catalonia | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career edit
Born in Bilbao, he began his career in 1903 with his hometown club Athletic Club. In the 1904 Copa del Rey Final, Athletic were declared winners after their opponents, Club Español de Madrid, failed to turn up.[4] He was then a fundamental piece in the Athletic side that reached the final of the Copa del Rey three times in a row between 1905 and 1907, however, they all ended in losses at the hands of Madrid FC.[5] He then joined X Sporting Club, where he formed a great defensive partnership with Santiago Massana and goalkeeper Pedro Gibert, winning two Catalan championships in 1907 and 1908. In 1909, the club was effectively relaunched as the Club Deportivo Español, and he become the team's first-ever captain after the re-foundation.[3] He remained loyal to the club until 1911, when his constant good performances drew the attention of FC Barcelona, who signed him in 1911, making his debut on 19 November in a 17-1 win over Català.[3]
He was a member of the legendary Barcelona team of the early 1910s, that also included the likes of Francisco Bru, Alfredo Massana, Enrique Peris and Carles Comamala, which won back-to-back Copa del Rey titles in 1912 and 1913, helping his side keep a clean-sheet in the 1912 final in a 2-0 win over Sociedad Gimnástica.[6] He also helped the Catalan club win two Pyrenees Cups titles in 1912 and 1913 and one Catalan Championships in 1912–13. He played for Barcelona until 1914, when he returned to Athletic Club, where he retired in 1918.
International career edit
Like many other FC Barcelona of his time, he played several matches for the Catalan national team in the early 1910s, being one of the eleven footballers who played in the team's first-ever game recognized by FIFA on 20 February 1912, which ended in a 0-7 loss to France.[7]
Personal life edit
Irízar was the only child of a wealthy couple from Bilbao. His condition allowed him the luxury and prestige of studying in Leuven, Belgium. However, while an Athletic player, he fell in love with Ana, a young woman from a humble family who had emigrated to the Biscayan capital from Herrera de Pisuerga, in Palencia, to be educated in Los Ángeles Custodios. They got married and at least four of the five children they had were born in Barcelona, where Irizar played between 1911 and 1914. In fact, his teammates at Barcelona such as Enrique Peris, Romà Forns or Manuel Amechazurra, used to call him "the father" because he already had children.[3]
Irizar died on 28 March 1935, at the age of 52, and was buried in the Montjuïc cemetery. His wife Ana continued to live in Barcelona, where she would die almost 40 years later, in 1973.[3]
Honours edit
Club edit
- Catalan championships
- Champions (2): 1907 and 1908
- Catalan championships
- Champions (1): 1912–13
- Pyrenees Cup:
- Champions (2): 1912 and 1913
References edit
- ^ "Irizar, José Marcelino Yrízar Urbizu - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "José Irízar Urbizu". periquito.cat. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "José Irizar, "el padre" del Barça". www.sport.es (in Spanish). 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Spain - Cup 1904". RSSSF. 13 January 2000. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "The 19 Spanish Cups of Real Madrid". www.realmadrid.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Spain - Cup 1912". RSSSF. 13 January 2000. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Catalonia 0-7 France". hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Hemeroteca. 22 February 1912. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
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