Rafael Alkorta
| Rafael Alkorta | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Alkorta Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-09-16) 16 September 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Olympiacos (Assistant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1978–1985 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1984–1987 | Bilbao Athletic | 40 | (2) |
| 1987–1993 | Athletic Bilbao | 172 | (2) |
| 1993–1997 | Real Madrid | 107 | (2) |
| 1997–2002 | Athletic Bilbao | 91 | (4) |
| Total | 410 | (10) | |
| National team | |||
| 1985 | Spain U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 1985–1986 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 1987–1990 | Spain U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 1990–1998 | Spain | 54 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2014– | Olympiacos (Assistant) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Rafael Alkorta Martínez (born 16 September 1968) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a central defender.
Having represented Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid during a 17-year professional career, he amassed La Liga totals of 370 games and eight goals, winning three major titles with the latter club.
Alkorta appeared in three World Cups with the Spanish national team, during the 1990s.
Club career
Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Alkorta began playing as an infant with local Athletic Club in 1978, and made his senior debut with the side's second team seven years later, making 40 appearances before being promoted by Howard Kendall to the senior team for 1987–88, making his debut in a 0-1 defeat at Real Valladolid on 24 October 1987. He subsequently played 172 La Liga games, and established himself as an outstanding man marker.
Alkorta attracted the attention of Real Madrid, for whom he signed in the 1993–94 season. At Real he formed a notable partnership with Fernando Hierro and, after more than 150 official appearances and two league titles, he returned to Athletic in 1997–98, helping the side finish second in the first season upon his return; he went on to feature regularly in the following years but, after only six matches in the 2001–02 campaign, decided to retire from the game, aged nearly 34.
International career
An international since 26 May 1990 (a 1–0 friendly away win with Yugoslavia), Alkorta gained 54 caps for Spain during the next eight years. He played in three FIFA World Cups – 1990, 1994 and 1998 – and UEFA Euro 1996, also representing the country at U16, U18 and U21 levels.
In the first competition, in Italy, Alkorta played ten minutes in a 2–1 group stage win against Belgium,[1] starting in a further 11 matches (ten complete) in the other senior tournaments combined.[2]
Honours
- Real Madrid
- Spanish League: 1994–95, 1996–97
- Spanish Supercup: 1993; Runner-up 1995
References
- Jump up ^ Belgium - Spain 1-2 (1-2); Planet World Cup, 21 June 1990
- Jump up ^ Rafael Alkorta – FIFA competition record
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data
- Athletic Bilbao profile
- Rafael Alkorta at National-Football-Teams.com
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