Luis Arconada
Encyclopedia
Luis Miguel Arconada Etxarri (born 26 June 1954) is a retired Spanish
footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.
Having played solely for Real Sociedad
for nearly 20 professional years, helping the team to two La Liga
titles, amongst other domestic accolades, he also collected 68 national team
caps
.
, Gipuzkoa. Aged 16, he joined local
giants Real Sociedad
's youth ranks, going on to play there his entire career. He was known as "El pulpo" (Octopus
in English
).
After two seasons backing up Urruti
, he became the club's undisputed starter, being instrumental in back-to-back La Liga
titles, which led – after the second – to a semifinal run in the European Cup
.
In the 1985–86 season, Arconada was seriously injured in the league's opener, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign and the 1986 FIFA World Cup
. He still returned strong for three more seasons, helping Real Sociedad to two consecutive Copa del Rey
finals before retiring at 35, with a total of 414 appearances for the club (551 overall); after that, he remained apart from the football world.
, a 1–1 friendly with Hungary
in Alicante
, replacing Real Madrid
's Miguel Ángel
for the second half.
Having captained the national side on many occasions, he represented it at the 1978
and 1982
FIFA World Cup
s, as well as at UEFA Euro 1980 and 1984. In the latter competition, his blunder resulted in the opening goal for hosts France
, in the 0–2 final defeat: Arconada appeared to have smothered a Michel Platini
free-kick
under his chest in a diving save, but he fumbled the ball, which slid off under his body and rolled slowly into the net.
Arconada's last game was a 0–3 defeat in Wales
, for the 1986 World Cup qualifiers
; a severe injury while playing for Real ousted him from the final stages, being replaced by another legendary figure, also-Basque Andoni Zubizarreta
.
During the ceremony following Spain's victory in Euro 2008, third-choice for the winners Andrés Palop
wore Arconada's original Euro 84 final shirt, as he received the gold medal
from Platini, now president of UEFA
.
Arconada also represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal, Canada, as Spain was eliminated in the first round
.
, never played professional football, but had an extensive coaching career, mainly in the third division
. For a few months in early 2006, he coached Real Sociedad's first team.
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 goalkeeper.
Having played solely for Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
for nearly 20 professional years, helping the team to two La Liga
La 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...
titles, amongst other domestic accolades, he also collected 68 national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
.
Club career
Arconada was born in San SebastiánSan Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Gipuzkoa. Aged 16, he joined local
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....
giants Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
's youth ranks, going on to play there his entire career. He was known as "El pulpo" (Octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
).
After two seasons backing up Urruti
Javier Urruticoechea
Francisco Javier González Urruticoechea , aka Urruti, was a Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper....
, he became the club's undisputed starter, being instrumental in back-to-back La Liga
La 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...
titles, which led – after the second – to a semifinal run in the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
In the 1985–86 season, Arconada was seriously injured in the league's opener, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign and the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
. He still returned strong for three more seasons, helping Real Sociedad to two consecutive Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
finals before retiring at 35, with a total of 414 appearances for the club (551 overall); after that, he remained apart from the football world.
International career
On 27 March 1977, Arconada played his first game for SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, a 1–1 friendly with Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
in Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, replacing Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
's Miguel Ángel
Miguel Ángel González
Miguel Ángel González Suárez , known as Miguel Ángel, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.-Football career:...
for the second half.
Having captained the national side on many occasions, he represented it at the 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
and 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s, as well as at UEFA Euro 1980 and 1984. In the latter competition, his blunder resulted in the opening goal for hosts France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, in the 0–2 final defeat: Arconada appeared to have smothered a Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
free-kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
under his chest in a diving save, but he fumbled the ball, which slid off under his body and rolled slowly into the net.
Arconada's last game was a 0–3 defeat in Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, for the 1986 World Cup qualifiers
1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification....
; a severe injury while playing for Real ousted him from the final stages, being replaced by another legendary figure, also-Basque Andoni Zubizarreta
Andoni Zubizarreta
Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.The all-time most capped player for the Spanish national team for several years, he played with individual and team success for Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona , appearing in more than 950...
.
During the ceremony following Spain's victory in Euro 2008, third-choice for the winners Andrés Palop
Andrés Palop
Andrés Palop Cervera is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC as a goalkeeper.After having languished on the bench of hometown side Valencia for most of his stay, he became a premiere player with Sevilla well into his 30's, helping it consolidate in both the domestic and European...
wore Arconada's original Euro 84 final shirt, as he received the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
from Platini, now president of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
.
Arconada also represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal, Canada, as Spain was eliminated in the first round
Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
.
Club
Real Sociedad- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe 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...
: 1980–81, 1981–82 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1986–87; Runner-up 1987–88 - Spanish SupercupSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 19821982 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1982 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 13 October and 28 December 1982.* League winners: Real Sociedad* Cup winners: Real Madrid CF-First leg:-Second leg:...
Country
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: Runner-up 19841984 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA...
Individual
- Zamora TrophyRicardo Zamora TrophyThe Ricardo Zamora Trophy is a football award, established by Spanish newspaper MARCA in 1958. The award goes to the goalkeeper who has the lowest "goals-to-games" ratio. It is named after legendary Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora....
: 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82
Personal
Arconada's younger brother, GonzaloGonzalo Arconada Echarri
Gonzalo Arconada Echarri is a Spanish football manager.-Coaching career:Arconada started coaching while still in his teens, with youth sides Juveniles de La Salle and Danak; his first twenty years would be spent with teams in his native region, mostly in the lower levels...
, never played professional football, but had an extensive coaching career, mainly in the third division
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
. For a few months in early 2006, he coached Real Sociedad's first team.
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data
- International appearances, at RSSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...
- Biography at Porteros Vascos de Leyenda