| Iñigo Larrainzar | |
| Fullname: | Iñigo Larrainzar Santamaría |
| Birth Date: | 5 June 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Pamplona, Spain |
| Height: | 1.73 m |
| Position: | Right-back |
| Youthclubs1: | Osasuna |
| Years1: | 1989–1990 |
| Caps1: | 20 |
| Goals1: | 2 |
| Years2: | 1990–1993 |
| Caps2: | 115 |
| Goals2: | 9 |
| Years3: | 1993–2003 |
| Caps3: | 251 |
| Goals3: | 6 |
| Years4: | 2003–2005 |
| Caps4: | 40 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Totalcaps: | 426 |
| Totalgoals: | 17 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1990 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1991 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 1991–1992 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 1994 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 1995–2000 |
| Nationalcaps5: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears6: | 2003 |
| Nationalcaps6: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals6: | 0 |
Iñigo Larrainzar Santamaría (born 5 June 1971) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a right-back.
Also a central defender on occasion, his older brother Domingo, often referred to as Larrainzar I, was also a footballer, and both played at Osasuna.[1] [2]
A product of hometown CA Osasuna's youth academy and reserve team, where he played alongside future Athletic Bilbao teammate José Mari, Pamplona-born Larrainzar made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 21 March 1990 in a 1–0 away loss to Rayo Vallecano, and was definitely promoted to the main squad for the following season; aged 19, he was instrumental, as was brother Domingo, in helping the Navarrese side to finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.[3]
In the summer of 1993, Athletic Bilbao paid 200 million pesetas to acquire Larrainzar's services, then the second-highest figure by the club, and he was an undisputed starter in the following campaigns.[2] In 1997–98, alongside youth graduate Aitor Larrazábal who played on the opposite flank, he featured in 34 matches and scored two goals to help the Basques to a runner-up place, with direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
After some years battling for first-choice status with younger Jesús María Lacruz, who also represented Osasuna (although they did not coincide),[4] and also dealing with injuries,[5] [6] Larraínzar moved south for Córdoba CF in the Segunda División,[7] where he played a further two seasons. He retired at the age of 34, with 366 top-flight appearances to his credit.[8]
Larrainzar was capped once for Spain. On 19 January 1994, he played the entire 2–2 friendly against Portugal in Vigo.[9] [2]