Juan Carlos Arteche

Juan Carlos Arteche Gómez (11 April 1957 – 13 October 2010) was a Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Arteche and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.
Juan Carlos Arteche
Personal information
Full name Juan Carlos Arteche Gómez
Date of birth (1957-04-11)11 April 1957
Place of birth Maliaño, Spain
Date of death 13 October 2010(2010-10-13) (aged 53)
Place of death Madrid, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1974–1975 Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1978 Racing Santander 48 (2)
1975–1976 → Gimnástica (loan) 25 (0)
1978–1989 Atlético Madrid 308 (18)
Total 381 (20)
National team
1986 Spain U23 1 (0)
1986–1987 Spain 4 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

A player of imposing physical presence with great aerial ability,[1] he spent 11 years of his professional career with Atlético Madrid, appearing in nearly 400 competitive games for the club.[2]

Club career

Born in Maliaño, Cantabria, Arteche began playing professionally with local Racing de Santander after starting in basketball and tennis.[3] He made his debut in the 1976–77 season and appeared in 16 La Liga games as the club finished 15th, barely avoiding relegation.

After one more year with Racing, Arteche signed for Atlético Madrid, being an undisputed starter early on and team captain. In 1984–85, he helped the Colchoneros to the second position in the league only behind champions FC Barcelona, and the campaign's Copa del Rey; subsequently, they reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a 0–3 loss against FC Dynamo Kyiv.[4]

After only two matches in 1988–89, mainly due to serious personal problems with elusive Atlético chairman Jesús Gil,[5] Arteche chose to retire at 32.

International career

Arteche won four caps for Spain in three months, his debut coming against Romania on 12 November 1986 for the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifiers. In his last appearance, he could not stop England's Gary Lineker from scoring all opposing goals, in the 2–4 friendly loss in Madrid.[6][7]

Death

After a long battle with blood cancer, Arteche died in Madrid on 13 October 2010, at the age of 53.[8]

Honours
Atlético Madrid

References
  1. Arteche nació central (Arteche was born a stopper); El País, 13 October 2010 (in Spanish)
  2. Cumplió el sueño de la selección (He fulfilled dream of national team); Mundo Deportivo, 27 October 2004 (in Spanish)
  3. Arteche, la 'muralla' del Atlético de Madrid (Arteche, the 'wall' of Atlético de Madrid); El Diario Montañés, 13 October 2010 (in Spanish)
  4. European Competitions 1985–86; at RSSSF
  5. Arteche, Landáburu, Quique y Setién ganan a Gil en los juzgados, pero no juegan (Arteche, Landáburu, Quique and Setién with court battle with Gil, but do not play); El País, 2 December 1988 (in Spanish)
  6. 2–4: Gary Lineker, al frente de la escuadra inglesa, hundió en el Bernabéu a la España de Miguel Muñoz (2–4: Gary Lineker, at the helm of the English side, sank Miguel Muñoz's Spain at the Bernabéu); ABC, 19 February 1987 (in Spanish)
  7. A Lineker se le da bien el Bernabéu (Lineker sure likes the Bernabéu); El País, 19 February 1987 (in Spanish)
  8. Fallece el futbolista Juan Carlos Arteche a causa de un cáncer (Footballer Juan Carlos Arteche dies due to cancer); El País, 13 October 2010 (in Spanish)
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