Enrique Yarza

Enrique Yarza Soraluce (21 October 1930 – 1 August 2001) was a Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

After his university studies and military service, he spent his entire professional career at Real Zaragoza, playing 332 games across all competitions from 1953 to 1969. He was the club's most successful captain, winning the Copa del Generalísimo in 1964 and 1966, and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1964.

Early life Born to a well-off family in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, Yarza excelled academically, in 1948 he joined the Faculty of Chemical Sciences at the University of Zaragoza. During this time, he played as a left winger and took penalty kicks for a university team touring the local area.

Yarza's performances for the university team earned him attention from clubs, and he signed for regional first division side Celta de Zaragoza, whom he helped to promotion to the Tercera División. During this time, he was conscripted for compulsory military service in Tarragona, which was spread out due to his university course; he rose to the rank of reserve second lieutenant.

Real Zaragoza won their first trophy on 24 June 1964, lifting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup with a 2–1 final win over compatriots Valencia. This was followed on 5 July with the Copa del Generalísimo, after defeating Atlético Madrid 2–1 in the final. With another domestic cup win two years later against Atlético Bilbao , he was the club's most successful captain of all time. The Real Zaragoza side of this decade were known as Los Magníficos.

Limited by an Achilles tendon rupture in his later career, Yarza played his final match aged 39 on 18 September 1968, a 3–1 loss away to Trakia Plovdiv of Bulgaria in the first round of the Fairs Cup, and was criticised by the press for his performance. Having played under four presidents and 16 managers, he was given a testimonial match on 1 May 1969 against Wiener Sport-Club of Austria.