Javier Clemente

Football manager infobox
playername = Javier Clemente


fullname = Javier Clemente Lázaro
nickname = MALA PERSONA
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|3|12
cityofbirth = Barakaldo, Biscay
countryofbirth = Spain
height = height|m=1.69
weight = 64 kg
nickname =
currentclub = Real Murcia (Manager)
clubnumber =
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1968-1971
clubs = Atlético Bilbao
caps(goals)= 47 (6)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
playerclubs =
playeryears = 1960
manageryears = 1975-76
1976-78
1980-81
1981-86
1986-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-98
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-04
2005-06
2006-07
2008-
managerclubs = Arenas Club de Getxo
CD Baskonia
Bilbao Athletic
Athletic Bilbao
RCD Espanyol
Atlético Madrid
Athletic Bilbao
RCD Espanyol
Spain
Real Betis
Real Sociedad
Olympique Marseille
CD Tenerife
RCD Espanyol
Athletic Bilbao
Serbia
Real Murcia

Javier Clemente Lázaro (born March 12, 1950 Barakaldo, Biscay, Spain) is a Spanish football manager. The veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs, Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998 he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. His last job was failing to lead Serbia national football team through qualification round for the UEFA Euro 2008. He became the first foreign manager of Serbia on July 21 2006 when he signed a two year contract worth €720,000. Yet, he was released from his contract after failing to qualify for the European championship, on December 6 2007. In September 2008, he said he would like a famous journalist, Manolo Lama, would have died in a car accident, happened in 1987.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

As a player, Clemente made 47 La Liga appearances for Athletic Bilbao and scored six goals between 1968 and 1971. He was also a member of the Athletic team that won the "Copa del Generalísimo" in 1969, but his playing career was cut short because of injury. Clemente served his apprenticeship as a coach with Arenas Club de Getxo, CD Baskonia and then Bilbao Athletic before becoming manager of Athletic Bilbao for the first time in 1981.

La Liga Champions

Clemente soon set about putting together one of the most successful Athletic Bilbao teams in the clubs history. Veterans Dani and Andoni Goikoetxea were joined by young players from the cantera such as Santiago Urkiaga, Miguel De Andres, Ismael Urtubi, Estanislao Argote and Andoni Zubizarreta. In 1983 the club won La Liga and in 1984 they won a La Liga/Copa del Rey double. His first spell in charge of Athletic is also remembered for a bitter rivalry that developed between Athletic and FC Barcelona. It began when César Luis Menotti, then manager at FC Barcelona criticised the Clemente style as authoritarian and his team as defensive and destructive. Clemente in turn dismissed Menotti as an ageing hippy and womaniser. The row intensified after a La Liga match at the Camp Nou on September 24 1983 when Andoni Goikoetxea tackled Diego Maradona from behind, leaving Maradona severely injured. Goikoetxea, whose hardman image came to personify Clemente’s Athletic team, subsequently became known as the "Butcher of Bilbao". On July 5 1984 the two clubs met again in the Copa del Rey final and the game ended in a mass brawl between the two sets of players.

Return to Athletic

Clemente’s first spell as manager of Athletic Bilbao came to an end in 1986. However he returned to manage the club on two further occasions in the 1990/91 and 2005/06 seasons. On both occasions he failed to reproduce the success of his first spell and despite helping Athletic avoid relegation in 2006, he was sacked after criticizing the club’s transfer policy.

RCD Espanyol

After leaving Athletic Bilbao in 1986, Clemente was appointed manager of RCD Espanyol. In first season in charge he guided the club to third in La Liga and qualification for the UEFA Cup. During the 1987/88 season he guided Espanyol to the UEFA Cup final beating both AC Milan and Inter Milan on the way. In the final against Bayer Leverkusen, they won the home leg at the "Sarriá" 3-0. However the return game saw Bayer also win 3-0 and the game went to penalties with Espanól losing 3-2. Clemente ended his first spell in charge of Espanyol in 1989. After coaching Atlético Madrid to second place in La Liga during the 1989/90 season he returned to Espanyol for the 1990/91 season. He returned to the club, now known as Espanyol, for a third time in 2002 and remained until 2004.

Other Clubs

Clemente has also managed several other La Liga clubs and during the 2000/01 season he also had a spell in charge of Olympique Marseille. During the 1998/99 season he managed Real Betis and became embroiled in more controversy when he spat at a fan and implied Andalucia was "another country". He has also managed Real Sociedad and CD Tenerife.

International career

pain

In 1992 Clemente was appointed manager of Spain. His first game in charge was a 1-0 victory over England on September 9 1992. He was manager of Spain during both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and during Euro 1996. Despite leading the team to a 31 game unbeaten run, he was criticised for choosing too many Basque players and for dropping Josep Guardiola. After 62 games in charge, he was sacked after a 3-2 defeat to Cyprus on September 5 1998.

erbia

Clemente became manager of the Serbia national team on July 21, 2006. He made his debut as Serbia manager August 16, 2006, with a 3-1 away victory against Czech Republic. According to Serbian press, Clemente has been earning €30,000 per month, which has made €720,000 for two years contract. Also, he was eligible for a €400,000 bonus had Serbia passed through the EURO 2008 qualifications, and an additional €150,000 bonus for every round passed at the final tournament. In an interview he gave to the Serbian daily newspaper "Politika", Clemente said that €30,000 a month is the smallest salary he has earned in the last 20 years. [ [http://www.politika.co.yu/detaljno.php?nid=5608 Clemente: I'm proud of my work in Serbia] by Politika, retrieved on July 2, 2008] Yet, Serbia didn't manage to pass through the qualifying group. Following the failure to qualify, and the heavy criticism of supporters and management, Javier Clemente was released from his contract on December 6, 2007. [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=633319.html End of the road for Clemente] by UEFA.com on December 6 2007.]

Honours

"Player"

Athletic Bilbao
* Copa del Generalísimo : 1
** 1969

"Manager"

Athletic Bilbao
* Spanish Champions: 2
** 1982-83, 1983-84
* Copa del Rey: 1
** 1984
* Supercopa de España: 1
** 1984

References

External links

* [http://www.lfp.es/historico/primera/entrenadores/historial.asp?ent=261 La Liga manager stats]
* [http://futbol.sportec.es/seleccion/ficha_seleccionador.asp?j=5327&n=Javier%20Clemente Spain manager stats]
* [http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/EURO/Teams/team=147/kindstatic=1/index.html UEFA Profile]