Txutxi

Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier (born 7 January 1973), known as Txutxi, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Díez and the second or maternal family name is De Mier.
Txutxi
Personal information
Full name Jesús Emilio Díez de Mier
Date of birth (1973-01-07) 7 January 1973
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
Dínamo San Juan
1989–1990 Getxo
1990–1992 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1996 Bilbao Athletic 109 (0)
1995–1996 Athletic Bilbao 10 (0)
1996–1997 Lleida 35 (0)
1997–2001 Badajoz 160 (0)
2001–2003 Hércules 47 (2)
2004 Yeclano 16 (0)
2004–2005 Sangonera
Total 377 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He appeared in 304 Segunda División games during 11 seasons, mainly in representation of Bilbao Athletic and Badajoz. In La Liga, he played with Athletic Bilbao.

Football career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Txutxi joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system at the age of 17. He spent four full seasons competing with the reserves in Segunda División, being relegated in 1996; on 22 October 1992, he made his debut for the main squad, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–1 away loss against Xerez CD for the Copa del Rey.[1]

Txutxi first appeared in La Liga courtesy of manager Dragoslav Stepanović – exactly three years after his first competitive match – a 0–0 home draw to RCD Español in which he again played the entire game.[2] After leaving the Basques he resumed his career in the second level, with UE Lleida and CD Badajoz, eventually becoming team captain at the latter.

In December 2001, Txutxi signed for Segunda División B club Hércules CF. He retired in June 2005 aged 32, after a spell with amateurs Sangonera Atlético CF.

Drug scandal

In February 2009 Txutxi, alongside former footballers Carlos de la Vega and Predrag Stanković, was arrested in connection with an anti-drug operation in Madrid.[3] Both he and Stanković were condemned to nine years in 2014 (confirmation in 2015) – as five other people received sentences that ranged from four to 12 years, with de la Vega being one of two persons acquitted – for smuggling 950 kg of cocaine into the country.[4][5]

References
  1. El Athletic pierde por la mínima (Narrow loss for Athletic); Mundo Deportivo, 23 October 1992 (in Spanish)
  2. Suma y sigue (And counting); Mundo Deportivo, 23 October 1995 (in Spanish)
  3. El jugador del Rayo Carlos de la Vega a prisión por tráfico de drogas (Rayo Vallecano player Carlos de la Vega in jail for drug traffic); La Razón, 18 September 2009 (in Spanish)
  4. Stankoviću devet godina zatvora (Nine years in prison for Stanković); B92, 14 March 2014 (in Serbian)
  5. Nueve años de cárcel por narcotráfico a Stankovic y a Txutxi (Nine years in prison for Stankovic and Txutxi for drug traffic); Marca, 9 February 2015 (in Spanish)
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