Roberto Olabe (footballer, born 1967)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Olabe and the second or maternal family name is Aranzábal.
Roberto Olabe
Personal information
Full name Roberto Olabe Aranzábal
Date of birth (1967-10-20) 20 October 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth Vitoria, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1990 Ibiza 3 (0)
1990–1991 Mirandés 57 (0)
1991–1992 Alavés 0 (0)
1992–1995 Salamanca 107 (0)
1995–1999 Real Sociedad 2 (0)
Total 169 (0)
Managerial career
1999–2001 Real Sociedad (youth)
2002 Real Sociedad
2006 Eibar
2011 Almería
2011–2012 Real Unión
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roberto Olabe Aranzábal (born 20 October 1967) is a Spanish former football goalkeeper and manager.

Playing career

Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Olabe enjoyed a ten-year senior career. His professional input consisted of 35 Segunda División games with UD Salamanca, and two in La Liga with Real Sociedad.

Olabe made his debut in the Spanish top flight on 15 October 1995, starting in a 1–2 home loss against CP Mérida.[1] During his four-year tenure at the Anoeta Stadium, he played second-fiddle to Alberto.[2]

Coaching career

Olabe retired in June 1999, at not yet 32. He was immediately appointed coach of Real Sociedad's youths.

Late into the 2001–02 season, Olabe replaced the fired John Toshack at the helm of the first team,[3] going on to avoid team relegation after collecting five wins and two draws from nine matches. On 2 July 2002, he and assistant manager Jesús María Zamora were handed a four-month ban as the former did not possess a coaching licence.[4]

After acting as the club's director of football, Olabe was appointed SD Eibar coach on 27 December 2005.[5] He was dismissed less than three months later,[6] as the second-tier campaign eventually ended in relegation.

In 2010–11, Olabe was one of three managers in charge of UD Almería – where he had already worked in directorial capacities[7]– who returned to the second division after a four-year stay. In the ensuing summer, he signed with Real Unión in the same capacity.[8]

Olabe became Real Sociedad's director of football in March 2018, replacing Loren in the role.[9]

Personal life

Olabe's son, also named Roberto, is also a footballer. A winger, he also represented Real Sociedad.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Real Sociedad, 1; Mérida, 2". ABC (in Spanish). 16 October 1995. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  2. ^ Del Castillo, Alfredo (28 June 2016). "Ya no salen porteros" [No more goalkeepers coming through]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Toshack bids farewell to Sociedad". BBC Sport. 12 March 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  4. ^ "La Real recurrirá las sanciones a Zamora y Olabe" [Real to appeal Zamora and Olabe bans]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 3 July 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  5. ^ "Roberto Olabe se hace cargo del Éibar hasta el mes de junio" [Roberto Olabe takes charge of Éibar until month of June]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 27 December 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Roberto Olabe, decimotercer entrenador despedido" [Roberto Olabe, thirteenth fired coach]. La Nación (in Spanish). 20 March 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Roberto Olabe, nuevo entrenador del Almería" [Roberto Olabe, new Almería manager]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 April 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  8. ^ Olazabal, Borja (23 June 2011). "Roberto Olabe firmará hoy su contrato con el Real Unión" [Roberto Olabe will sign his contract with Real Unión today]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Roberto Olabe, new director of football". Real Sociedad. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  10. ^ "El salmantino Roberto Olabe, convocado con la selección sub 17" [Salamanca's own Roberto Olabe, called up for the under-17 national team]. La Gaceta de Salamanca (in Spanish). 11 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2016.