Manuel Etura

Manuel Etura
Personal information
Full name Manuel González Etura
Date of birth (1933-02-21)21 February 1933
Place of birth Sestao, Spain
Date of death 18 March 2026(2026-03-18) (aged 93)
Place of death Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1952–1953 Getxo
1953–1966 Athletic Bilbao 205 (2)
1966–1967 Indautxu 26 (0)
Total 231 (2)
International career
1957–1961 Spain B 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Manuel González Etura (21 February 1933 – 18 March 2026) was a Spanish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

Career

Born in Sestao, Biscay, Etura spent 13 seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao after signing in summer 1953 from neighbouring CD Getxo.[1] He only totalled 16 games in his first three years, his debut coming on 12 December 1954 in a 3–0 home win against Hércules CF.

During his tenure at the San Mamés Stadium, Etura appeared in 247 matches in all competitions, scoring three goals.[1] His first in the league came on 27 September 1959, but in a 3–2 away loss to Granada CF.[2]

Etura won four titles with his main club, included the 1955–56 national championship to which he contributed nine appearances.[1] In the final of the 1958 Copa del Generalísimo, he marked Real Madrid superstar Alfredo Di Stéfano in the 2–0 victory at the Bernabéu.[3]

Etura retired in 1967 aged 34, following a spell in the Segunda División with SD Indautxu.[4]

Personal life and death

Etura became a widower at the age of 38. He began working before his retirement, and later was a sales representative in his native region.[4]

On 18 March 2026, Etura died at 93.[5]

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Cinco jugadores históricos del Athletic" [Five historic Athletic players]. El Correo (in Spanish). 10 April 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ^ "Granada, 3 – At. Bilbao, 2". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 28 September 1959. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  3. ^ Herrán, Alfonso (18 March 2026). "Luto en el Athletic: fallece Etura, campeón con los Once Aldeanos" [Mourning at Athletic: death of Etura, champion with the Eleven Villagers]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier; Mallo, Juanma (18 March 2026). "Muere Etura, uno de los campeones con el Athletic de los Once Aldeanos, a los 93 años" [Death of Etura, one of the champions with Athletic of the Eleven Villagers, at the age of 93]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Etura dies at 93, one of Athletic's 'Once Aldeanos' champions". OneFootball. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.