Aitor 'Txiki' Begiristain Mújica (born August 12, 1964 in Olaberria, Guipúzcoa) is a former Spanish footballer, who played professionally during the 1980s and 1990s.

Mainly a right winger who could also operate as a forward with equal success, he is best known for his spells at Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona.

[edit] Club career

Begiristain began his professional career with Real Sociedad in 1982, at just 18, and subsequently played 187 games and scored 23 goals in the first division for the club. After a slow start, with 16 matches in his first season, he became an essential member of the side that was then coached by John Toshack, also including Luis Arconada, Roberto López Ufarte, José Mari Bakero and Luis López Rekarte. The highlights of his career at Real included scoring the second goal in the 1987 Spanish Cup final against Atlético Madrid, which was eventually won on penalties after the 2-2.

In 1987-88, Begiristain helped Real finish runners-up in both league and cup, losing in both competitions to FC Barcelona; within a month of the latter he, along with Bakero and López Rekarte, signed for the Catalonian club.

Begiristain scored on his debut for Barcelona, a 2–0 win over RCD Espanyol; alongside fellow Basque players Bakero, Andoni Zubizarreta, Julio Salinas and Ion Andoni Goikoetxea, he became a prominent member of the side dubbed Dream Team, winning numerous honours. During seven seasons at the club he played 223 games and scored 63 goals in the league, with a career-best 15 in 1992-93, as Barça won the third of four successive titles. Among his personal highlights were hat-tricks against Real Valladolid in 1991, and Real Zaragoza two years later.

In 1995, after gradually losing his importance with Barcelona (although he still registered 44 games and 13 goals in the last two seasons), Begiristain signed for Deportivo de La Coruña, where he linked up with two past acquaintances, Toshack and López Rekarte. He subsequently helped his new club win the Spanish Supercup, scoring in the away leg, a 2-1 win against Real Madrid, at the Bernabéu.

During the last season at Galicia, Begiristain only appeared 10 times, but scored against CF Extremadura on the final round, granting Depor a third-place finish with the 1-0 win. He closed out his career in 1999, with Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, having played in more than 500 official matches in his country, surpassing the 100-goal mark.

After retiring as a player, Begiristain worked for Televisió de Catalunya, before becoming Director of football at former club Barcelona.^[1][2]

His sister-in-law is currently serving a 57-year prison sentence in Spain for membership in the Basque separatist army ETA.

[edit] International career

Begiristain played 22 times and scored six goals for Spain, making his debut in a 2–1 defeat against Czechoslovakia, in a friendly match.

He represented Spain at UEFA Euro 1988 and the 1994 FIFA World Cup, playing his last game in the latter competition, a 3-0 Round of 16 win against Switzerland, where he scored the closer from a penalty.

[edit] Honours

• Real Sociedad:
  • Spanish Supercup: 1982
  • Spanish Cup: 1986–1987

• FC Barcelona:
  • European Cup: 1991–92
  • Spanish League: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1988–1989
  • UEFA Super Cup: 1992
  • Spanish Cup: 1989–1990

• Deportivo La Coruña:
  • Spanish Supercup: 1995

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)

v • d • e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 1988 1 Zubizarreta • 2 Tomás • 3 Camacho • 4 Andrinúa • 5 Víctor • 6 Calderé • 7 Salinas • 8 Sanchís • 9 Butragueño • 10 Eloy • 11 Gordillo • 12 Diego • 13 Buyo • 14 Gallego • 15 Eusebio • 16 Bakero • 17 Begiristain • 18 Soler • 19 Martín Vázquez • 20 Míchel • Coach: Muñoz

v • d • e Spain squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Zubizarreta • 2 Ferrer • 3 Otero • 4 Camarasa • 5 Abelardo • 6 Hierro • 7 Goikoetxea • 8 Guerrero • 9 Guardiola • 10 Bakero • 11 Begiristain • 12 Sergi • 13 Cañizares • 14 Juanele • 15 Caminero • 16 Miñambres • 17 Voro • 18 Alkorta • 19 Salinas • 20 Nadal • 21 Luis Enrique • 22 Lopetegui • Coach: Clemente