Name: José Agustín Aranzábal Askasibar
Country:
SpainClub: Real Sociedad de Fútbol
Position: *DMF, CB, SB, (CMF, AMF, WF, CF)
Side: RF/BS
Age: 27-31 years (23/07/1946)
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 70 kg
Attack: 68
Defence: 74
Balance: 80
Stamina: 86
Top Speed: 82
Acceleration: 80
Response: 79
Agility: 82
Dribble Accuracy: 75
Dribble Speed: 75
Short Pass Accuracy: 76
Short Pass Speed: 76
Long Pass Accuracy: 74
Long Pass Speed: 76
Shot Accuracy: 70
Shot Power: 79
Shot Technique: 72
Free Kick Accuracy: 67
Curling: 73
Header: 71
Jump: 81
Technique: 76
Aggression: 73
Mentality: 81
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 81
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 7
Growth type: Standard/Lasting
CARDS:
P08 - Box-to-Box
S04 - PK Taker
S09 - Covering
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Center - Penalties - Covering
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced
INFO:
Captain. Mythical. Played in all positions except goalkeeper. He was a multi-purpose footballer. Although his natural predisposition was to play as a defender, he played in almost all positions, wherever the coach sent him Epitome of consistency and a fine penalty taker.
Gaztelu was throughout his career a hard-working defensive midfielder, with a rather defensive cut, who stood out for his fighting spirit. But he came to play as a full-back, centre-back, midfielder, winger, interior and only striker. He is remembered as a physical prodigy who, due to his quality and caste, fulfilled in all positions. Born in Bergara, a fighting midfielder for Real Sociedad, where defensive character did not detract from his ability to reach, in fact he scored almost every season.
Although Gaztelu was a centre-back in his later years (including the 80/81 season when the title was won), the meaning of versatile must have been picked up when Gaztelu put on his boots: "He was a centre-back, but he came to play everything, also on the two full-backs, in midfield, as a midfielder to carry the ball up and even away from home he played only as a centre-forward". His small body was not an impediment: "For us he was like what Messi is for Barcelona. He was an all-rounder, he had good technique, he was the smallest but the one who jumped the most, he had an incredible boat. In addition, that caste of his infected the rest and that is why he has been one of the most loved players in all the dressing rooms. He was a phenomenon."
He spent his entire career with Real Sociedad, playing 308 competitive games and scoring 33 goals. Gaztelu would be the last player to retire from the generation that achieved the historic promotion in 1967 and the only one of them who would also be part of the squad that won the first league title in 1981.