Gorka Etxeberria

Gorka Etxeberria

Personal information
Full name	Gorka Etxeberria Aldasoro
Date of birth	(1972-02-26) 26 February 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth	San Sebastián, Spain
Managerial career
Years	Team
2004	Al Khaleej
2012–2013	Salamanca
2013	Atlético CP
2017	Sydney Olympic
2020	Real Unión (caretaker)

Gorka Etxeberria Aldasoro (born 26 February 1972) is a Spanish football manager and director of football.

He managed Salamanca and Real Unión in the Segunda División B, as well as Atlético of the Portuguese Segunda Liga and Sydney Olympic of the National Premier Leagues NSW.

Etxeberria had other roles in football, including as assistant manager at Zaragoza and Girona, and director of football at clubs including Alavés, Salamanca, Unionistas Salamanca and Real Unión.

Career

Early career

Born in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, Etxeberria told Marca in 2024: "I was a bad footballer, but instead of developing repudiation I became more in love".^[1] He began coaching in 2004, with Al Khaleej Club in the United Arab Emirates.^[2] He was assistant manager to Javier Irureta at La Liga club Real Zaragoza in 2008,^[3] and to Javi Salamero at Girona FC in the Segunda División in 2009.^[4]

In December 2009, Etxeberria made himself available for the vacant managerial position at Dorchester Town in the Conference South, the sixth tier of the English football league system.^[5] He was made a consultant and first-team coach while the search for a permanent manager was delayed by legal issues between the club and its former chairman.^[6] In March 2010, caretaker manager Ashley Vickers was given the job permanently and Etxeberria returned to Spain to become director of football at Deportivo Alavés in the Segunda División B.^[7] He resigned from the club from Vitoria-Gasteiz in May 2011, with weeks of his contract remaining.^[8]

Etxeberria was hired as manager and director at UD Salamanca in June 2012, with the third-tier club being in serious economic problems.^[9] He was dismissed from his coaching position the following 4 March and replaced with B-team manager José María Hernández, as the club was dissolved at the end of the season.^[10] UDS was succeeded by the corporately related Salamanca CF UDS, and the fan-driven Unionistas de Salamanca CF; in 2019 Etxeberria said that he had spoken to Salamanca's mayor in a failed attempt to ensure there was only one successor.^[11]

Portugal and Australia

In August 2013, Etxeberria turned down an approach from Caudal Deportivo in Spain's third tier and a youth team from his hometown in order to join Atlético Clube de Portugal in the neighbouring country's Segunda Liga.^[12] Having taken 12 points from 14 games, and with the Lisbon-based club in 19th place, he left on 9 November.^[13]

After three years as director of CD Hernani in his native Gipuzkoa, Etxeberria headed abroad again in June 2017, on an 18-month deal at Sydney Olympic FC of the second-tier National Premier Leagues NSW.^[2] He was sacked on 2 March 2018 as the first dismissal of the season, and replaced by Abbas Saad.^[14] In February 2020, he and Chris Taylor of South Melbourne FC were awarded AU$80,000 in compensation each by a FIFA tribunal, which ruled that they were wrongfully dismissed.^[15]

Return to Spain

In June 2018, Etxeberria returned to Salamanca as director of Unionistas.^[16] He left in November 2019, with the club second from bottom.^[17] The following January, he was hired on an 18-month deal at Real Unión in his home province.^[18] On 25 February 2020, the club from Irun sacked Alberto Iturralde and put Etxeberria in caretaker charge as manager.^[19] In June 2021, with the club promoted to the new Primera Federación and under ownership of Unai Emery's family, he signed a one-year contract extension.^[20] He left at its end.^[21]

Etxeberria was hired in another directorial role at CF Rayo Majadahonda in June 2022.^[22] He lasted only weeks before being replaced by Néstor Susaeta.^[23] In January 2023, he returned to the city of Zaragoza after nearly 15 years away, joining CD Ebro in the same position.^[24]

References

1. Acedo, Diego (14 June 2024). "Gorka Etxeberria: "A los futbolistas les digo que se trabaja para ser, no para estar"" [Gorka Etxeberria: "I tell the footballers that you work to be something permanently, not something temporarily"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
2. Lorenzo, J. L. (16 June 2017). "Gorka Etxeberria se marcha a Australia" [Gorka Etxeberria heading to Australia]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
3. Giménez, Paco (10 March 2008). "Gorka Etxeberria: "Irureta nunca se sintió cómodo y lo está pasando muy mal"" [Gorka Etxeberria: "Irureta never felt comfortable and he is going through very bad things"]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
4. "Salamero dirigió su primer entrenamiento al frente del Girona" [Salamero led his first training session at the helm of Girona]. Marca (in Spanish). EFE. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
5. "Dorchester claim Etxeberria wants to be their manager". BBC Sport. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
6. Capel, Ky (24 December 2009). "Gorka is made first-team coach". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
7. Capel, Ky (16 March 2010). "Vickers in bid to get deals done". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
8. "Gorka Etxeberria renuncia a su puesto como director deportivo del Alavés". Deia (in Spanish). EFE. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
9. "Gorka Etxeberria se hace cargo de las riendas del Salamanca" [Gorka Etxeberria takes the reins at Salamanca]. Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). 15 July 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
10. "Gorka Etxeberria, destituido como entrenador de la UDS" [Gorka Etxeberria, dismissed as manager of UDS]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Spanish). 4 March 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
11. González, Juanjo (10 April 2019). "Gorka Etxeberria: «En 2013 hablé hasta con el alcalde para que solo hubiera un proyecto, ahora es imposible»" [Gorka Etxeberria: "In 2013 I even spoke to the mayor to make sure that there was one project, now it is impossible]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
12. "Gorka Etxeberria se marcha a entrenar a Portugal" [Gorka Etxeberria heading to manage in Portugal]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Portuguese). 6 August 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
13. Pedro, Luís (9 November 2013). "Gorka Etxeberria deixa comando técnico" [Gorka Etxeberria leaves the managerial helm]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
14. "Olympic part company with Etxeberria". National Premier Leagues NSW. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
15. Rugari, Vince; Bossi, Dominic (13 February 2020). "'I achieved every KPI': FIFA orders two former NSL clubs to pay out sacked coaches". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
16. "Gorka Etxeberria, nuevo Director de Fútbol de Unionistas CF" [Gorka Etxeberria, new Director of Football of Unionistas CF] (in Spanish). Salamanca RTV al Día. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
17. González, Juanjo (13 November 2019). "Gorka Etxeberria sale de Unionistas «orgulloso» de su trabajo aunque reconoce «muchos errores»" [Gorka Etxeberria leaves Unionistas "proud" of his work although he recognises "many errors"]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
18. González, Juanjo (11 January 2020). "El exunionista Gorka Etxeberria, nuevo director deportivo del Real Unión de Irún" [Ex-Unionista Gorka Etxeberria, new sporting director of Real Unión of Irún]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
19. González, Juanjo (25 February 2020). "El ex de Unionistas Gorka Etxeberria toma las riendas del Real Unión tras la destitución de Alberto Iturralde" [Ex-Unionista Gorka Etxeberria teakes the reins of Real Unión after the dismissal of Alberto Iturralde]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
20. "Gorka Etxeberria renueva su contrato con el Real Unión por una temporada" [Gorka Etxeberria renews his contract with Real Unión for one season]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 27 June 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
21. Troyano, Imanol (30 May 2022). "Gorka Etxeberria no seguirá en el Real Unión" [Gorka Etxeberria will not continue at Real Unión]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
22. "El Rayo Majadahonda, nuevo destino de Gorka Etxeberria" [Rayo Majadahonda, Gorka Etxeberria's new destination]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 19 June 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
23. Antelo, Iván (4 October 2022). "Alfredo Santaelena, nuevo entrenador del Rayo Majadahonda, próximo rival del Deportivo" [Alfredo Santaelena, new manager of Rayo Majadahonda, Deportivo's next rival]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
24. "Gorka Etxeberria firma con el C. D. Ebro" [Gorka Etxeberria signs with C. D. Ebro]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 2 January 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.