Biography
Who is José Mari Bakero?
Early life and playing career
José Mari Bakero Escudero was born in Goizueta, Spain, on February 11, 1963. He started his senior career with Real Sociedad, making his debut in September 1980. Despite suffering a serious injury during the 1981 to 1982 season, he helped the Basque side win back-to-back La Liga titles.
After his time with Real Sociedad, José moved to FC Barcelona. He became a core member of the famous Dream Team under manager Johan Cruyff. During his time with the Catalan club, he won multiple league titles and the European Cup in 1992, securing a crucial goal against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the second round.
International appearances
At the international level, José earned 30 caps for the Spain national team and scored seven goals. His debut for the senior national team took place in October 1987 during a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Austria.
Following his debut, José represented Spain at the final tournament of Euro 1988. He also played in two FIFA World Cup editions, appearing in the 1990 tournament and the 1994 tournament before concluding his international career.
Coaching and management
After retiring from playing following a brief stint with Mexican club Veracruz, José transitioned into coaching. He began as an assistant manager under Lorenzo Serra Ferrer and Louis van Gaal at Barcelona. He later worked as a sports adviser and managed Málaga's B side.
José went on to manage several other clubs across Europe and South America. His managerial career included spells with Real Sociedad, Polonia Warsaw in Poland, Lech Poznań, Juan Aurich in Peru, and Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria. He also returned to Barcelona in 2017 to serve as head of the youth academy.
Family background
José comes from a large family, being the third of 11 children. Several of his siblings pursued sports careers as well. His brothers Santiago and Jon were both football players and forwards, with Jon later assisting José during his coaching period at Polonia Warsaw.
In addition to his brothers, José's sister Itziar played football at the international level. His son Jon also pursued a career in sports, playing college soccer in the United States for Wake Forest University and winning the Hermann Trophy in 2017.
Birthday and age
José Mari Bakero was born on February 11, 1963, which makes José 63 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. José shares the date with 67 other famous people.
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