José Luis Mendilibar
Encyclopedia
José Luis Mendilibar Etxebarria (born 14 March 1961 in Zaldibar
, Basque Country
) is a retired Spanish
footballer who played as a midfielder
, and a current coach.
. Successively, he played for Bilbao Athletic
, CD Logroñés
, Sestao Sport Club
and SD Lemona
.
He was a key player in midfield for Sestao during the club's second division
years - playing eight years with the Basque
club in that level, and overall appearing in nearly 300 matches - narrowly missing out on promotion in 1987 under Javier Irureta
.
, before being appointed head coach of UD Lanzarote
, and then SD Eibar
. His success with the latter in the second division, on a very limited budget, translated into a narrow miss on promotion in 2005.
Mendilibar then returned to Athletic, the club he supported as a child, but was sacked after just a few months, as the Lions ranked last with just one win in 10 matches.
In 2006–07, Mendilibar moved to Real Valladolid
, achieving top flight promotion in his debut campaign (with 88 points), and retaining division status from 2007–09.
On 1 February 2010, after a 1–1 home draw against UD Almería
, Mendilibar was sacked from his post. Slightly less than one year later he returned to active, replacing sacked José Antonio Camacho
at CA Osasuna
. His first game in charge was a 4–0 home win against RCD Espanyol
.
Zaldibar
Zaldibar is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain...
, Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
) is a retired Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, and a current coach.
Playing career
Mendilibar enjoyed an average career as a player, never representing a club in La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
. Successively, he played for Bilbao Athletic
Bilbao Athletic
Bilbao Athletic is a Spanish football club based in Bilbao, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country...
, CD Logroñés
CD Logroñés
Club Deportivo Logroñés, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 1940, it last played in Regional Preferente de La Rioja....
, Sestao Sport Club
Sestao Sport Club
Sestao Sport Club was a Spanish football club based in Sestao, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded it 1916, it held home matches at Campo Municipal de las Llanas, with a capacity of 8,900 seats.-History:...
and SD Lemona
SD Lemona
Sociedad Deportiva Lemona is a Spanish football team based in Lemoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded in 1923, it plays in Segunda División B - Group 2, holding home matches at Estadio Arlonagusia, with a capacity of 5,000 seats....
.
He was a key player in midfield for Sestao during the club's second division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
years - playing eight years with the Basque
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
club in that level, and overall appearing in nearly 300 matches - narrowly missing out on promotion in 1987 under Javier Irureta
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano , Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager....
.
Coaching career
After retiring in 1994, Mendilibar worked in the youth categories of Athletic BilbaoAthletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, before being appointed head coach of UD Lanzarote
UD Lanzarote
Unión Deportiva Lanzarote is a Spanish football team based in Arrecife, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands. Founded in 1970, it plays in Tercera División - Group 12....
, and then SD Eibar
SD Eibar
Sociedad Deportiva Eibar, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team from Eibar, Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded on 30 November 1940, it currently plays in Segunda División B....
. His success with the latter in the second division, on a very limited budget, translated into a narrow miss on promotion in 2005.
Mendilibar then returned to Athletic, the club he supported as a child, but was sacked after just a few months, as the Lions ranked last with just one win in 10 matches.
In 2006–07, Mendilibar moved to Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
, achieving top flight promotion in his debut campaign (with 88 points), and retaining division status from 2007–09.
On 1 February 2010, after a 1–1 home draw against UD Almería
UD Almería
Unión Deportiva Almería, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1989 as Almería Club de Fútbol, it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos, with a 22,000-seat...
, Mendilibar was sacked from his post. Slightly less than one year later he returned to active, replacing sacked José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho Alfaro is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender, and the current coach of the China PR national football team....
at CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
. His first game in charge was a 4–0 home win against RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
.