Juan Urruti

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Lore & Background

At Real Sociedad, Urruti was part of a remarkable goalkeeping trio. After the departure of José Ramón Esnaola, he fought for the starting spot alongside Luis Arconada and Pedro Artola. It was a fierce competition, with three talented keepers vying for one position. Ultimately, Arconada became the established starter, prompting Urruti to seek opportunities elsewhere. He moved to RCD Espanyol, where his career truly took off. In 1981, he won the Don Balón award as Spanish Footballer of the Year, a rare honor for a goalkeeper. That success led him across Barcelona to join FC Barcelona, where he became a prominent member of the team coached by Terry Venables that won the league in 1985 and reached the European Cup final in 1986.

In Their Own Story

On 25 March 1985, with Barcelona facing Real Valladolid, Urruti made a penalty save against Mágico González that effectively clinched the league title for the Catalans. In the European Cup semi-final second leg against IFK Göteborg, Barcelona trailed 3-0 from the first leg. Urruti successfully protested to the referee about a conceded goal after he spotted the ball had gone out of play. The decision kept Barcelona in the game. They eventually drew level, and in the subsequent penalty shootout, Urruti saved a crucial penalty and then scored one himself. The final against FC Steaua București ended in disappointment: although he saved two shots in the shootout after a 0-0 draw, his Romanian counterpart, Helmut Duckadam, stopped all four Barcelona penalties.

Reader's Guide

Urruti's career at Real Sociedad was defined by competition. He joined the club in 1969 and spent three years with the reserve team before entering the first-team picture. The battle for the goalkeeper position was intense, with three talented players — Urruti, Luis Arconada, and Pedro Artola — all competing. When Arconada finally became the established starter, Urruti moved on. He won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in 1983-84 while at Barcelona, playing in all but one league match that season. After Andoni Zubizarreta arrived in 1986, Urruti was pushed to the bench and only appeared in one league match in his final two seasons combined. He later became the club's goalkeeper coach. On 24 May 2001, he died after his car hit the central barrier of a ring road in Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, at just 49. An annual golf tournament, the Memorial Javier Urruti, was subsequently played in his honour.

Did You Know?

• Urruti won the Don Balón award as Spanish Footballer of the Year in 1981 while playing for RCD Espanyol.
• He saved a crucial penalty and then scored one himself in the European Cup semi-final penalty shootout against IFK Göteborg in 1986.
• In the 1986 European Cup final, Urruti saved two penalties in the shootout, but his counterpart Helmut Duckadam saved all four Barcelona attempts.
• After retiring, Urruti served as FC Barcelona's goalkeeper coach.
• An annual golf tournament, the Memorial Javier Urruti, is played in his honour.