Esteban Echevarría
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Esteban Echevarría Olabarrieta | ||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1923 | ||
| Place of birth | Deusto, Spain | ||
| Date of death | 24 February 1987 (aged 64) | ||
| Place of death | Spain | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1941–1942 | Indautxu | ||
| 1942–1951 | Real Oviedo | ||
| 1951–1952 | Gimnàstic de Tarragona | ||
| 1952–1953 | Indautxu | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Esteban Echevarría Olabarrieta (16 January 1923 – 24 February 1987) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Real Oviedo in the 1940s.
Club career
Born on 16 January 1923 in Deusto, Echevarría began his career at his hometown club Indautxu, remaining there until 15 July 1942, when he joined Real Oviedo, then in La Liga.[1] A few months later, on 8 November, he took advantage of Antonio Chas' injury to make his official debut with the first team in a league away match against Sevilla, scoring twice to help his side to a 5–0 victory.[1][2] He went on to score 14 goals in the first seven matchdays, thus setting a record for the best league start that stood for 72 years, being surpassed only by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2014–15 season.[3][4] That season, Echevarría scored 25 goals, finishing behind only Valencia's Mundo, who scored 28.
On 16 September 1944, Echevarría was heading to watch a bullfight during the Fiestas de San Mateo in Oviedo when he got hit by a car and subsequently suffered traumatic pleurisy, which forced him to stay away from the pitch for almost the entire 1944–45 season, and then failed to score a single goal in the 1945–46 season.[2] On 21 December 1947, he became the first (and only) player to score a five-goal haul against Real Madrid in an official match, doing so in a league fixture at the Buenavista stadium in Oviedo, to help his side to a 7–1 victory.[2][5][6]
His career, however, was halted by another serious injury, this time permanently, leaving Oviedo in 1951, having scored 82 goals for the club, including 64 goals in 81 La Liga matches.[2][7] He then joined Gimnàstic de Tarragona, where he retired in 1952, aged 29.[7]
Death
Echevarría died on 24 February 1987, at the age of 83.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Hace 80 años debutaba Echevarría" [80 years ago Echevarría made his debut]. www.realoviedo.es (in Spanish). 8 November 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Buscando un sustituto para Lángara" [Looking for a replacement for Lángara]. www.realoviedo.info (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Cristiano consigue el mejor arranque goleador de la historia" [Cristiano has the best scoring start in history]. www.marca.com (in Spanish). 18 October 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Cristiano bate un récord de hace 71 años: 15 goles en ocho jornadas" [Cristiano breaks a 71-year-old record: 15 goals in eight matches]. www.rtve.es (in Spanish). 18 October 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Cinco Goles de Echevarría al Madrid" [Five goals from Echevarría against Madrid]. www.eldesmarque.com (in Spanish). 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Hace 74 años Echevarría le marcaba 5 goles al Real Madrid" [74 years ago, Echevarría scored 5 goals against Real Madrid]. www.realoviedo.es (in Spanish). 21 December 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Echevarria". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
External links
- Esteban Echevarría at BDFutbol