Vicente Biurrun

José Vicente Fernández Biurrun (born 1 September 1959) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Biurrun.

Vicente Biurrun
Personal information
Full name José Vicente Fernández Biurrun
Date of birth (1959-09-01) 1 September 1959
Place of birth São Paulo, Brazil
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Danak
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1981 Real Sociedad B 78 (0)
1981–1983 Real Sociedad 0 (0)
1983–1986 Osasuna 60 (0)
1986–1990 Athletic Bilbao 151 (0)
1990–1993 Español 81 (0)
1993–1995 Real Sociedad 4 (0)
Total 374 (0)
National team
1990 Basque Country 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played in 296 La Liga matches over 14 seasons, in representation of four teams.

Club career

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Biurrun was of Basque descent and moved to Spain at a young age.[1] He started playing professionally with Real Sociedad (after appearing with the reserves in his senior beginnings) but, blocked by Spanish international Luis Arconada, he was forced to move and joined Navarrese neighbours CA Osasuna, being understudy to Francisco Vicuña in his first season and starting in the following two.[2]

FC Barcelona took an option to purchase Biurrun, but in May 1986 they signed Athletic Bilbao's goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta instead and an agreement was reached for the former to join the Basque club as the latter's replacement.[3] Deemed eligible to play for them due to his roots,[4] he established himself as a La Liga player, rarely missing a match[5] and making a career-high 41 appearances in the 1986–87 campaign as his team finished in 13th position; subsequently, he joined RCD Español as a replacement for the recently departed Thomas N'Kono.

Biurrun retired in 1995 at nearly 36 years of age after ending where he had started, Real Sociedad.[6] He stayed connected with the game, as a players' agent.[7][2]

References
  1. "La cantera vasca llega hasta Brasil" [The Basque youth system goes all the way to Brazil]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 December 1982. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  2. "Biurrun: «A los porteros se nos recuerda por los fallos que tuvimos»" [Biurrun: «People remember goalkeepers for the mistakes they made»]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 16 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  3. "El Barcelona ficha a Zubizarreta por 150 millones" [Barcelona sign Zubizarreta for 150 million]. El País (in Spanish). 3 May 1986. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  4. "Voluntad de tradición" [Will of tradition]. El Correo (in Spanish). 27 May 2001. Retrieved 4 February 2006.
  5. "Iraizoz será el tercer portero en jugar 250 partidos de Liga con el Athletic" [Iraizoz will be the third goalkeeper to play 250 League matches with Athletic] (in Spanish). EFE. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  6. "Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: jugadores en los dos bandos" [Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: players on both sides]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 May 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  7. "Qué fue de... Vicente Biurrun" [What happened to... Vicente Biurrun] (in Spanish). La Liga. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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