Jose Ignacio Urbieta

José Ignacio Urbieta Egaña (12 December 1915 – 17 May 1999) was a Spanish artist, footballer who played as a defender for Deportivo Alavés and Real Sociedad, and later a manager, taking charge of Real Sociedad, Real Murcia, and Las Palmas in the 1950s.

Although known for his sports activities carried out between 1942 and 1958, the most notable in his public performance were his artistic works, most notably the manufacture of figures of giants and big heads for popular festivals.

Early life and education José Ignacio Urbieta was born on 12 December 1915 in Deba, Gipuzkoa, as the son of local merchants. He studied at the Salesianos school of Sarriá in Barcelona, where he met Simón Berasaluce, a master glassmaker, four years older. He also coached one season for Las Palmas (1957–58), Barakaldo CF (1958–59), CD Tenerife (1959–60), Notably, he was fired from Tenerife with a simple phone call by the club's president Ricardo Hodgson Lecuona on 29 December 1959. With permission from the club to spend the Christmas holidays at home, Urbieta traveled to his hometown of Deba by road, but he failed to return for the match against Plus Ultra due to bad weather which closed the Bilbao airport and made the telephone useless. When Urbieta's telegram arrived, Hodgson had already decided on his dismissal, having been pleased by Tenerife's decent performance against Plus Ultra, so on the next day, in an "extraordinary and urgent" meeting of the board of directors, it was agreed to dismiss him, but there was no way to contact him other than by phone: "José Ignacio, you don't need to come back. You are fired".

Artistic career Outside of football, Urbieta was an artist, decorator, and illustrator, having a workshop studio in San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Deba, where he made the restoration of the sacristy of the parish church of Deba, and the dome of that of Berriatua. His skills were also applied to street entertainment, especially for popular festivals, as he manufactured figures of giants and big heads, built floats, designed costumes, and sometimes staged traditional bar legends. He mastered a notable number of techniques, including molding, having cast some of his figures in the well-known Capa workshop in Arganda (Madrid) and at the Deba Art School.

In the late 1980s, Urbieta intensified his activity as a manufacturer and restorer of giants and big heads, basically using traditional techniques, although his permanent desire for innovation led him to also use fiberglass. Although there is no complete catalog of his works, he designed, manufactured, and repaired several festive figures for the City Councils of San Sebastián, Bilbao, Oñati, Lekeitio, and Mondragón-Arrasate, such as . His giants for Deba representing José Izaga "Pepe Izaga" and Carlos Alcibar "Carlosmonte", which were unanimously praised for their realism and excellent finish that characterized all of his work. Urbieta was also a renowned specialist in the repair and in some cases updating of giants, big heads and similar figures.

He received various tributes and recognitions from troupes of giants and bigheads, among other places, in San Sebastián and Deba.

Death Urbieta married María Teresa Egaña, and the couple had several children.

Urbieta died on 17 May 1999, at the age of 83.

Honours Real Sociedad Segunda División: Winners (1) 1942–43