Iñaki Sáez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Bilbao, Basque Country, Sáez joined Athletic Bilbao in 1962 from Barakaldo. He totalled 46 La Liga games with five goals in his first two seasons, but only 20 the following three due to injuries. From 1967 to 1974 he appeared regularly, helping Athletic to two Copa del Rey trophies, and retired at age 31 after 338 competitive matches for the club. He earned three caps for Spain in one month in 1968, all against England in UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying losses.

In Their Own Story

On 30 April 2003, Iñaki Sáez handed Xabi Alonso his international debut in a 4–0 friendly victory over Ecuador. After the match, Sáez remarked on Alonso's abilities: "He has a fantastic range of accurate passing [and] sees football with an extraordinary clarity."

Reader's Guide

Sáez began managing immediately after retiring, coaching Athletic Bilbao's youth sides for five years. He briefly led the first team in 1980–81, finishing ninth, then returned to the reserves. He again took the first team in 1985–86, replacing Javier Clemente for the final 13 fixtures and leading Athletic to third place. He coached the reserves in the second tier for four seasons, then was promoted to the first team midway through 1990–91, but was fired after round 23 of the following campaign. He later had two spells with Las Palmas in the third division and managed top-flight Albacete in 1996, which ended in relegation. He managed Spain's under-21 team from 1996, winning the UEFA European Championship in 1998, and also led the under-20s to the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He became senior Spain manager in 2002, remaining until after Euro 2004, with 15 wins, six draws and two losses in 23 matches. He then returned to the under-21 team.

Did You Know?

• Sáez was part of a legendary defense at Athletic Bilbao that included goalkeeper José Ángel Iribar, Luis María Echeberría, and Jesús Aranguren.
• His first and last Spain caps were both against England, in two losses for Euro 1968 qualifying.
• He won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship as manager in 1998, defeating Greece.
• Sáez led Spain's under-20 team to the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999 in Nigeria.