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Julen Guerrero

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Guerrero and the second or maternal family name is López.

Julen Guerrero
Pictured in a 1995 advert
Personal information
Full name Julen Guerrero López
Date of birth (1974-01-07) 7 January 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth Portugalete, Spain
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1982–1992 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992 Bilbao Athletic 12 (6)
1992–2006 Athletic Bilbao 372 (101)
Total 384 (107)
International career
1989–1990 Spain U16 9 (7)
1990–1991 Spain U17 8 (3)
1990–1991 Spain U18 14 (2)
1992–1994 Spain U21 12 (8)
1993–2000 Spain 41 (13)
1993–2006 Basque Country 11 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Julen Guerrero López (born 7 January 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played solely for Athletic Bilbao and the Spain national team.[1] Since July 2018, he is also the Spain national under-17 football team coach.[2] Often hailed as one of the greatest attacking midfielders of his generation[3][4], and one of the promising stars of the 90s, his career was controversially cut short in the early 2000s, playing few games and minutes, prompting his early retirement in 2006.[5] Guerrero was ambidextrous, and was renowned for his free kicks, headers, and finishing skills, derived from his sharp nose for goals.[6] He was often referred to by the media as El Rey León (The Lion King) and La Perla de Lezama (The Pearl of Lezama).[7]

Guerrero advanced rapidly through the ranks of the Lezama Youth Academy from age 8, occupied the midfield position and developed his entire career at Athletic Club. His arrival at the first team in 1992 at the hands of Jupp Heynckes was met with unprecedented furor amongst society, both by his footballing abilities and his charisma.[8] He became one of the first football celebrities and his pop-like figure boosted Athletic's image overseas.[9] In 1995, he became the youngest captain in Athletic's history, aged 21.[10] By 1996, he had already been offered important lucrative contracts by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Liverpool and Lazio, but refused to play for any team other than his home club, consolidating his 'legend' status amongst Athletic's supporters until today.[11][12][13] Guerrero's career in the first team spanned 14 years, of which he earned 430 caps and scored 116 goals. He helped the Bilbao side reach a league runner-up place in the 1997-1998 season. The following season, he was instrumental in the team's UEFA Champions League run, the club's first since the 1984–85 European Cup. Despite failing to qualify to the knockout phase, Guerrero put strong performances and netted against Juventus and Galatasaray.[14]

A Spain international since 1993, he represented the nation at two World Cups. Guerrero went through all the youth categories of the national team, with a total 41 caps and 13 goals with the first team. He featured in two World Cups, namely the 1994 and 1998 competitions, as well as in the UEFA Euro 1996.

Club career

Born in Portugalete, Biscay, Guerrero joined Athletic Bilbao as an eight-year-old,[15][16][17] and subsequently progressed through the junior ranks of the club. Along with Aitor Karanka he was a member of the under-19 team that won a national double of cup and league in 1991–92, and also appeared and scored for the reserves in the second division during the same season.

In September 1992, aged 18, Guerrero made his senior debut for Athletic under Jupp Heynckes.[18] He quickly made an impact and, although a midfielder, scored 28 La Liga goals in his first two seasons combined (65 in his first six). He was awarded the New Spanish Player of the Year by El País in 1993, and won the Spanish Footballer of the Year by both Don Balón and El País the following year;[19] during the 1993–94 campaign he scored a hat-trick against Albacete Balompié (4–1, home),[20] adding four against Sporting de Gijón (7–0 also at the San Mamés Stadium).[21]

The early promise Guerrero showed attracted interest from, among others, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Juventus FC, S.S. Lazio and Manchester United. However, he remained loyal to Athletic and, in 1997, signed a ten-year contract[16][18] which was the longest in the club's history, and also made him the team's highest-paid player.

In 1997–98, Guerrero netted eight times in 29 matches as the Basques finished second, leading to direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League. However, in the following years, his career went into decline and, in 2002, he was dropped by coach Luis Fernández while still only 28;[15][18] in his last four seasons combined he could only manage 57 games with just four goals but, despite his poor form, remained a fan favourite,[1] and the decision to drop him caused some controversy.[22]

On 11 July 2006, Guerrero announced his retirement as a player at an emotional press conference.[15][16] He scored 116 goals in 430 competitive matches over the course of 14 seasons, including four in 17 appearances in various European competitions,[23] but did not win any major honours.[1]

Immediately after retiring, Guerrero took charge of the Lezama youth ranks,[16] leaving the post after two years.[24]

International career

Guerrero training for Spain, 1994

On 27 January 1993, when still only 19, Guerrero made his debut for Spain in a friendly game with Mexico, in Las Palmas.[15][25] He went on to play 41 games and score 13 goals,[16] and also represented the nation at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 1996.

Among Guerrero's personal international highlights were hat-tricks against Malta (3–0 in Attard, on 18 December 1996)[26] and Cyprus (8–0, 8 September 1999).[27] His last international took place in October 2000.[28]

Between 1993 and 2006, Guerrero also played 11 times[a] for the Basque Country autonomous team, scoring six goals – this included another hat-trick in 1997, against Yugoslavia. Both were records for some years,[29] although Xabi Prieto went on to appear in more matches[30] and Aritz Aduriz scored more goals.[31]

  1. ^ He made 12 appearances in total, but his debut in 1993 was against club side Real Sociedad, not counted by some sources.

Personal life

Guerrero's younger brother, José Félix, was also a footballer and a midfielder. He also represented Athletic Bilbao, but only the reserves.[32]

Julen also opened the Restaurante Julen Guerrero in Zamudio, and worked as an online columnist for Eurosport.[33]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[34][35]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other[a] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bilbao Athletic 1991–92 12 6 – – – 12 6
Athletic Bilbao 1992–93 37 10 0 0 – – 37 10
1993–94 36 18 4 3 – – 40 21
1994–95 27 13 2 1 4 2 – 33 16
1995–96 33 9 6 1 – – 39 10
1996–97 38 15 5 1 – – 43 16
1997–98 29 8 3 0 1 0 – 33 8
1998–99 36 9 2 1 8 2 – 46 12
1999–2000 32 6 3 0 – – 35 6
2000–01 27 4 2 0 – – 29 4
2001–02 20 5 6 2 – – 26 7
2002–03 14 0 2 2 – – 16 2
2003–04 14 1 0 0 – – 14 1
2004–05 12 3 4 0 2 0 – 18 3
2005–06 17 0 2 0 2 0 – 21 0
Total 372 101 41 11 17 4 - - 430 116
Career total 384 107 41 11 17 4 - - 442 122
  1. ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup.

International

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Guerrero goal.
List of international goals scored by Julen Guerrero[28]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 June 1993 Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania  Lithuania 1–0 2–0 1994 World Cup qualification
2 2–0
3 8 September 1993 Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain  Chile 1–0 2–0 Friendly
4 2–0
5 29 March 1995 Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Belgium 1–0 1–1 Euro 1996 qualifying
6 6 September 1995 Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain  Cyprus 1–0 6–0 Euro 1996 qualifying
7 20 September 1995 Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain  Argentina 2–0 2–1 Friendly
8 18 December 1996 Ta' Qali, Attard, Malta  Malta 1–0 3–0 1998 World Cup qualification
9 2–0
10 3–0
11 8 September 1999 Vivero, Badajoz, Spain  Cyprus 3–0 8–0 Euro 2000 qualifying
12 5–0
13 6–0

Honours

Spain U21

Individual

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Leyendas del Athletic Club de Bilbao – Guerrero" [Athletic Club de Bilbao legends – Guerrero]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Julen Guerrero, presentado como seleccionador sub-17". El Correo (in Spanish). 25 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Guerrero cuelga las botas tras 24 años en el Athletic". El Mundo (in Spanish). 11 July 2006.
  4. ^ "14 años del último partido de Julen Guerrero". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 20 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Francesco Totti vs. Javier Zanetti and the 20 Best One-Club Men of Recent Times". Bleacher Report. 28 February 2014.
  6. ^ "Julen Guerrero, el adiós de un jugador emblemático". ABC (in Spanish). 1 July 2007.
  7. ^ "¿Qué fue de Julen Guerrero?: el 'Rey León' que rechazó un cheque en blanco al Madrid". Diario AS (in Spanish). 17 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Julen Guerrero: "Fuera de Bilbao se descontrolaba todo, no podía ni salir del hotel"". El Mundo (in Spanish). 7 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Whatever happened to Julen Guerrero?". The Guardian. 24 January 2005.
  10. ^ "Julen Guerrero llega a los 300". Diario AS (in Spanish). 26 September 2001.
  11. ^ "Julen Guerrero rechaza una oferta del Madrid y seguirá en el Athletic". El País (in Spanish). 23 June 1995.
  12. ^ "El día que Julen Guerrero pudo fichar por el Real Madrid". Diario AS (in Spanish). 22 December 2019.
  13. ^ "La siesta del niño prodigio". ABC (in Spanish). 10 January 2005.
  14. ^ "Guerrero: Athletic philosophy reaps rewards". UEFA. 27 August 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d "Guerrero cuelga las botas tras 24 años en el Athletic" [Guerrero hangs up his boots after 24 years at Athletic]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 11 July 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Guerrero says goodbye at Athletic". UEFA. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  17. ^ Athletic Club: a way of life, Athletic Bilbao, 27 January 2021
  18. ^ a b c "Guerrero pride at Athletic honour". UEFA. 24 October 2006. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  19. ^ a b c "Spain – Footballer of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 4 August 2006.
  20. ^ Castañeda, Eduardo (6 September 1993). "Julen, en plan Guerrero, amarga la tarde al 'Alba'" [Julen, like a Warrior (pun on his surname), bitters 'Alba' afternoon]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  21. ^ Castañeda, Eduardo (4 April 1994). "Goles en una tarde de cátedra" [Goals in an afternoon for lessons]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  22. ^ Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (5 December 1998). "Julen Guerrero vive su temporada más amarga en el Athletic" [Julen Guerrero goes through his most bitter season in Athletic]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  23. ^ Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (9 October 2015). "Los discípulos de Pichichi" [Pichichi's disciples]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  24. ^ Martín, Luis (17 September 2007). "Un problema con nombre de mito" [A problem with the name of a myth]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  25. ^ Gascón, Javier (28 January 1993). "Más joven, pero igual de gris" [Younger, but just as grey]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  26. ^ Román, Rogelio (19 December 1996). "'Hat-trick' de Julen" [Julen hat-trick]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  27. ^ "España golea 8–0 a Chipre y pasa a la fase final de la Eurocopa" [Spain rout Cyprus 8–0 and qualify to Eurocup finals]. El País (in Spanish). 9 September 1999. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  28. ^ a b "Julen Guerrero – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 4 August 2006.
  29. ^ Río, Endika (29 December 2012). "Euskal Selekzioa: Una historia dividida en tres fases" [Euskal Selekzioa: A history divided into three phases]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  30. ^ Encinas, Mikel (26 December 2016). "Para Prieto todo empezó contra Honduras" [For Prieto everything started against Honduras]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  31. ^ "La interminable racha de Aduriz" [The endless streak of Aduriz]. Deia (in Spanish). 31 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  32. ^ Marcos, Carlos (21 October 1996). "El hermano de Julen Guerrero mantiene al Éibar arriba" [Julen Guerrero's brother keeps Éibar up]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  33. ^ Ortiz, Beatriz (19 December 2008). "Qué fue de... Julen Guerrero, el símbolo del Athletic" [What happened to... Julen Guerrero, Athletic's symbol] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  34. ^ Julen Guerrero at BDFutbol
  35. ^ "Julen Guerrero". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  36. ^ Valente, Alejandro (21 April 1994). "España, 'bronce' sin gustar" [Spain, unassuming 'bronze']. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2019.
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