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
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Marseille (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)
International career
1985	Spain U16	7	(0)
1985–1986	Spain U18	3	(0)
1987–1990	Spain U21	6	(0)
1990–1998	Spain	54	(0)
Managerial career
2014–2015	Olympiacos (assistant)
2015–	Marseille (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Alkorta and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.

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 second team seven years later, making 40 appearances before being promoted by Howard Kendall to the senior side for the 1987–88 season, making his debut in a 0–1 away defeat against 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 campaign. 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 club 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 under-16, under-18 and under-21 levels.

In the first competition, in Italy, Alkorta played ten minutes in a 2–1 group stage win against Belgium, starting in a further 11 matches (ten complete) in the other senior tournaments combined.

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1994–95, 1996–97
• Supercopa de España: 1993; Runner-up 1995

External links

• Rafael Alkorta profile at BDFutbol
• National team data
• Athletic Bilbao profile
• Rafael Alkorta at National-Football-Teams.com