José María Echevarría Ayestarán

José María Echevarría Ayestarán (Guecho, Vizcaya, Spain, October 30, 1920 - March 25, 1966), Spanish footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for Athletic Club in the Spanish First Division.

Career

He started in the world of football in 1933 in his hometown, Guecho. He joined Athletic Club in 1938 to rebuild the team due to the Civil War. He had previously participated in a friendly tournament organized by the Athletic Club to recruit players with the SEU of Getxo. He was one of the footballers chosen from the 39 participating teams.

In his first year at the club he was part of the Athletic Club youth team, coinciding with others such as Gainza or Makala. In the 1939-40 season he was one of the goalkeepers chosen by the Bilbao club for the first season after from the war. Gregorio Blasco, goalkeeper and legend of the club until 1936, had decided to start a new life in Mexico when the conflict broke out.

On February 18, 1940 he debuted in the First Division in a match against Atlético Aviación. In the 1940-41 season he won the Zamora Trophy by conceding 21 goals in 18 games. In that season Athletic was runner-up in the League. At the beginning of the 1942-43 season, in which the League title and the Generalissimo Cup were won, he suffered a rib fracture in a friendly match played on September 6 against Real Oviedo after a collision with Antonio Chas. He returned to the team in October, but fainted on November 1 due to tuberculosis that would end up retiring him from football. Josechu was immediately admitted to the Sanatorium de la Tablada (Madrid) for seven months. In July he was transferred to the Nuestra Señora de Begoña Sanatorium, in Miranda de Ebro, where he remained three years. In July 1946 he went to the Santa Marina Sanatorium, already in Bilbao, where he remained until the end of October and was operated on twice. After discharge, he dedicated himself to working as a commercial agent although he had to undergo periodic examinations to evaluate his state of health.

Echevarría died in 1966, at the age of 45, due to cardiorespiratory failure at the Leza Sanatorium.

Clubs

Club	Country	Year
Athletic Club	Spain	1938 - 1943

National team

He was international with the Spanish soccer team on one occasion, specifically on January 12, 1941 in the Portugal 2 - 2 Spain match.

Palmarés

National Championships

Individual distinctions