Ignacio Agirrezabala

For his brother Chirri I, seeMarcelino Agirrezabala.

In thisSpanish name,the first or paternalsurnameisAgirrezabalaand the second or maternal family name isIbarbia.

Chirri II

Chirri II in 1931
Personal information
Full name	Ignacio María Agirrezabala Ibarbia
Date of birth	(1909-03-29)29 March 1909
Place of birth	Bilbao,Spain
Date of death	11 September 1979(1979-09-11)(aged 70)
Place of death	Bilbao, Spain
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1925–1928	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1928–1935	Athletic Bilbao	90	(30)
International career
1928–1932	Spain	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ignacio María Agirrezabala Ibarbia,nicknamedChirri II(10 May 1909 – 11 September 1979) was a Spanishfootballerwho played as aforward.He played four times forSpain.

Career

At club level, he played forAthletic Bilbaofor eight seasons, coinciding with the introduction ofLa Ligain 1929;he won three national titles (1929–30,1930–31,1933–34), three consecutiveCopas del Rey(1930,1931,1932,also contributing to a fourth in1933although he did not take part in the final) and several editions of the regionalBiscay Championship,all before he elected to withdraw from playing at the age of 26.

Chirri II was an integral part of what became known as the 'first historic front line' of Athletic Bilbao, combining withJosé Iraragorri,Bata,Guillermo GorostizaandLafuente(as well asVíctor Unamuno).He has been characterised as a playmaker whose focus was on the creative and technical aspects of the game, in contrast to most forwards of the era who relied mainly on physical power to overcome opponents.He is said to have initiated the practice of destroying the bowler hat worn by the coachFred Pentlandafter victories, which became a regular ritual for the successful team.

When theSpanish Civil Warbroke out in 1936, Agirrezabala joined theBasque Country national football teamwhich toured Europe and Latin America in exile,remaining in Argentina when the rest of the squad moved on to Mexico where they founded a club team,CD Euzkadi.He worked in an engineering and construction firm before deciding to return to Bilbao with his family after eight years, where he became a director of a company in the same industry.

His elder brotherMarcelino,known asChirri I,also played for Athletic Bilbao and Spain;the siblings both played in one friendly match but never took the field together in a competitive fixture.

External links

• Chirri IIatAthletic Bilbao
• Chirri II: Ignacio María Aguirrezabala Ibarbiaat BDFutbol
• Chirri IIArchived1 July 2018 at theWayback MachineatSE Fútbol