Athletic great Koldo Aguirre passes away

Former Athletic Club midfielder and Coach Koldo Aguirre has passed away at the age of 80, the club has confirmed.

Athletic’s official site notes Aguirre played 296 games for the club, scoring 96 goals, between 1957 and 1969 and ended his playing career at Sabadell.

Aguirre twice won the Copa del Rey as a player and was a runner-up on two further occasions, as well as winning seven international caps.

He returned to Athletic as Coach in 1976, and led the team to the finals of the Copa del Rey, were they lost to Real Betis, and the UEFA Cup, were they lost to Juventus, in his first season on the bench.

Aguirre’s coaching career also took in clubs such as Alaves, Valencia and Mallorca, with his last post at Barakaldo in 1995-96.

Image via official Athletic site

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