Iñigo Liceranzu

Spanish footballer and coach

Iñigo Liceranzu
Personal information
Full name	Jesús Iñigo Liceranzu Otxoa
Date of birth	(1959-03-13) 13 March 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–1981	Bilbao Athletic	109	(11)
1980–1981	→ Barakaldo (loan)	37	(1)
1981–1988	Athletic Bilbao	169	(17)
1988–1989	Elche	19	(0)
Total		334	(29)
International career
1976–1977	Spain U18	6	(0)
1985	Spain	1	(0)
Managerial career
?–?	Úbeda
1998–1999	Zalla
2000–2003	Lemona
2003–2005	Amurrio
2006–2008	Barakaldo
2010–2011	Zamora
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jesús Iñigo Liceranzu Otxoa (13 March 1959) is a Spanish former professional football central defender and manager.

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Liceranzu was a product of local giants Athletic Bilbao. After three years with the reserves he made his professional debut with Basque neighbours Barakaldo CF, in the Segunda División.^[1]

Upon his return in summer 1981, Liceranzu eventually became an undisputed started for the club, partnering Andoni Goikoetxea as stopper and being dubbed Rocky due to his hard approach.^[2]^[3] In 1983–84, as Athletic renewed their domestic supremacy, he scored a career-best seven goals in 32 matches; on 29 April 1984, he found the net twice in a Basque Derby home win against Real Sociedad (his second meaning the final 2–1, and the club's 3000th goal in La Liga).^[4]^[5]

Liceranzu retired from football in 1989 at only 30, after one season with Elche CF also in the top tier.^[6] Towards the end of the following decade he became a coach, working mainly in his native region: Úbeda CF, Zalla UC, SD Lemona, Amurrio Club, Barakaldo and Zamora CF.^[7]^[2]

International career

On 30 April 1985, Liceranzu earned his sole cap for Spain, playing the entire 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Wales, a 3–0 loss in Wrexham.^[8]

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

La Liga: 1982–83,^[9] 1983–84^[10]
Copa del Rey: 1983–84^[11]
Supercopa de España: 1984 (Athletic Bilbao were awarded the trophy as winners of the double)^[12]

References

^ Recuerdos de un centenario (Memories of a centurion); Deia, 11 October 2017 (in Spanish)
^ ^a ^b "Rocky" Liceranzu se hará cargo del Zamora CF ("Rocky" Liceranzu to take charge of Zamora CF)^{[permanent dead link]}; Cadena COPE, 17 March 2010 (in Spanish)
^ Andoni Goikoetxea: "El año del triplete fue la hos..." (Andoni Goikoetxea: "The year of the treble was f***ing great..."); El Desmarque, 29 August 2011 (in Spanish)
^ Vuestras fotos (Your pictures); Aupa Athletic, 22 October 2005 (in Spanish)
^ Los goles milenarios del Athletic (Athletic's milestone goals); Mundo Deportivo, 29 April 2020 (in Spanish)
^ Se deshoja la margarita con Liceranzu y Merino (It's heads or tails with Liceranzu and Merino); La Verdad, 12 November 2008 (in Spanish)
^ "El sabor de ganar una Liga en el Athletic es superior" ("Nothing tops the taste of winning a League at Athletic"); Deia, 31 December 2011 (in Spanish)
^ Gales, espectacular y potente, goleó a España (Gales, spectacular and powerful, routed Spain); El País, 1 May 1985 (in Spanish)
^ Spain 1982/83; at RSSSF
^ Spain 1983/84; at RSSSF
^ 1–0: La mejor técnica no fue suficiente (1–0: Better skills were not enough); Mundo Deportivo, 6 May 1984 (in Spanish)
^ Spain – List of Super Cup Finals; at RSSSF