Top facts about Javier Clemente, The blond from Barakaldo

(Baracaldo, Vizcaya, December to March of 1950) is an ex-footballer and coach who leads the national team of Libya. In his early professional years, he played as a midfielder and his only professional team was the Athletic Club.

Javier Clemente’s age

is 71. Here you can find out the most important facts about Javier Clemente, the Spanish former player and coach.

As a coach, he has led nine clubs in Spain, with which he has added more than five hundred matches in the First Division, two of which stand out Athletic Club, with which he won two leagues and a Copa del Rey, and RCD Español, with which he achieved a runner-up in the UEFA Cup in the 1987-88 season.

The first fact about Javier Clemente is that he was the national coach of Spain between 1992 and 1998, which he directed in two World Cups - 1994 and 1998 - and in Euro 1996. Later, he also led the Serbian national teams, between 2006 and 2007; from Cameroon, between 2010 and 2011; and Libya, between 2013 and 2016.

On the initiative of Serbian Football Association president Zvezdan Terzi, Clemente was appointed manager of the national team on July 21, 2006.

According to local media, his monthly salary was €30,000 on a two-year contract worth €720,000 – he was also eligible for a €400,000 bonus if the country qualified for Euro 2008, and an additional €150,000 bonus for each round passed at the tournament; in an interview with Serbian daily Politika, he claimed his current salary was the lowest he had earned in the previous 20 years.

Top facts about Javier Clemente:

After being forced to quit from playing due to injuries in his early twenties, he began a coaching career, with his first management position coming in 1975.

He managed various clubs and national teams over the following four decades, including

,

, and Spain, which he previously represented as a player. With the former, he won the La Liga title in 1983 and 1984.

Javier Clemente early life

Javier Clemente began his football career in the courtyard in front of his mother's home, where she had resided for 54 years. Later, he relocated to the region where La Salle was located. This is where he began to play, and it was here that his class and self-assurance began to show.

Regarding

Javier Clemente’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he joined the Barakaldo youth squad shortly after, before joining the Athletic youth team at the age of 16, where he was signed by Gainza and Ipia. That's also where he had to develop the battling attitude that has defined his whole football career.

He began playing soccer at the Nuestra Señora del Carmen de los Hermanos de La Salle school, where he studied, and later joined the youth teams of Barakaldo CF 3 From there, he moved to the lower categories of Athletic Club. Ungortunately, there is no information regarding

Javier Clemente’s parents

.

Javier Clemente personal life

Javier Clemente and his wife, Mara Auxiliadora Pérez, married after he retired from sports, and they had two daughters, Xabier and Silvia, within a few years. Since 2007, his son, Xabi, has worked as a physical trainer with Atlético Madrid.

In 1987, the Barcelona Court of First Instance number 1 ordered COPE broadcaster Luis del Olmo and his collaborator Jess Marias to pay RCD Espaol coach Javier Clemente two million pesetas in compensation for a January 1986 radio broadcast in which the two broadcasters claimed that the problems between the Basque coach, then at Athlétic de Bilbao, and the same team's player Manuel Sarabia were caused by "flirtation."

Following a dialogue between the two journalists on the morning show Protagonistas, conducted by Del Olmo himself, the coach Javier Clemente and his wife, Mara Auxiliadora Pérez, filed a civil protection case for claimed illegal interference with honor.

Judge Julio Ramón López said in his finding that the chat "just transcends the threshold of neighborhood gossip," and so disputed that it was an offense worthy of the 25 million pesetas sought in the case brought by Javier Clemente and his wife.

Javier Clemente professional career

An important

fact about Javier Clemente

is that he made his debut against Czech Republic in a 3–1 friendly victory on August 16, 2006. Danko Lazovi, Marko Panteli, Vladimir Stojkovi, and Aleksandar Triovi were among the newcomers to the team, but old standbys like Predrag Orevi, Dragoslav Jevri, Mateja Keman, Savo Miloevi, and Albert Na were discarded.

From the first four matches, the nation had three home wins, over Azerbaijan,

, and Armenia, and a draw in Poland; however, things began to go wrong with a 1–2 defeat in Kazakhstan in March 2007, and the nation eventually trailed Poland and

in Group A, with the manager questioning the side's mental approach. Clemente was released from his contract on December 6, 2007, after failing to qualify.

Javier Clemente playing career

At youth age, he was called up for the first time with the first team of Bilbao, with which he made his debut on September 18, 1968 in a 1/32 final match of the UEFA Cup (Athletic 2 - Liverpool FC 1).

Athletic Bilbao

An important fact about Javier Clemente is that he was a very skilled player with the ball and with great precision in passing. He won the 1969 Generalissimo Cup with Athletic.

However, his career was cut short on November 23, 1969 after a hard tackle by Marañón in a match against CE Sabadell FC, which caused him a serious injury that kept him away from playing football.

After five operations and several unsuccessful comebacks, he had to abandon his playing career. On August 19, 1975 a farewell tribute was made to him in San Mamés against

.

In total, he played forty-seven games in the League, in which he scored six goals. He also played for the Spanish national team in the under-21 and under-23 categories.

Javier Clemente coaching career

After his retirement, Clemente began directing the Arenas Club, with which he achieved promotion to the Third Division in the 1975-76 season. Later, he coached CD Basconia (1976-78) and Bilbao Athletic (1979-81).

Athletic Bilbao

In 1981 he took over the Athletic Club first team, replacing Iñaki Sáez . In a short time, Clemente managed to create one of the best teams in the history of the Bilbao club, joining homegrown players such as Urkiaga, Argote or Zubizarreta with veterans such as Dani and Goikoetxea.

In his first year he left the team in fourth position and, in the 1982-83 season, he won the League. In 1984 he achieved a double by proclaiming himself champion of the League and the King's Cup.

In the next two years the team was third, a Cup finalist in 1985 and a semi-finalist in 1986. Athletic became famous for its claw and breed on the field, and for its commitment to the counterattack game.

Clemente's departure from Athletic was the consequence of his disagreements with international striker Manu Sarabia; Clemente made the decision to permanently remove the player from the team, blaming him for an alleged lack of discipline on the field.

The directive of the Rojiblanco club ordered the coach to retract said decision, but Clemente refused, for which he was dismissed on January 25, 1986, being provisionally relieved by Iñaki Sáez. Some players of the team publicly expressed their disagreement with the decision of the board.

RCD Español

Between 1986 and 1989 Clemente coached RCD Español. In his first year with the parakeet team, the 1986-87 season, he achieved a third place in the qualifying table, which was the best league position in the team's history.

For this reason, he once again won the Don Balon Award as best coach. In the 1987-88 campaign the team finished in 15th position in the league and achieved the UEFA Cup runner-up after losing in the final against Bayer Leverkusen on penalties, and having previously eliminated teams like

or

.

A notable fact about Javier Clemente is that he was dismissed and replaced by Pepe Mauri on matchday 25 of the 1988-89 season, when the team was in 18th position with seventeen points.

President Perico made the decision due to statements by Clemente to the newspaper Deia in which he questioned the ability of some players on the squad.

Club Atlético de Madrid

In the 1989-90 season, Clemente signed for Club Atlético de Madrid but his stay at the Manzanares club lasted only 240 days. On February 27, 1990, despite the team marching in second position, he was dismissed by Jesús Gil.

The reasons given by the Atlético president were that “the objective was to win something. We have gone wrong and, therefore, we have to change.

Second stage in Athletic Club and Español

After his brief stint at Atlético de Madrid, Clemente returned to Athletic Club in June 1990. He signed a one-season contract, extendable according to results,  but was relieved of his position on matchday 26 due to the poor performance of the team.

In this second stage, Clemente became the coach with the most matches at the helm of Athletic Club after surpassing the 235 matches of Juan Urquizu.

In the 1991-92 season, the Español hired him again to try to save the team from relegation. Clemente coached the Catalan team in the last twenty league games, achieving ten victories and four draws that certified their permanence.

The Sarriá club proposed to Clemente to continue but, in June 1992, the Royal Spanish Football Federation offered him to lead the Spanish team and he accepted the offer.

Spanish national team

Between 1992 and 1998 Clemente was Spain's coach. His first match was a friendly against England, at the Sport Fields of El Sardinero in Santander, which ended with a Spanish victory by a goal to nil.

Under his leadership, the Spanish team qualified for the 1994 World Cup, the 1996 Euro Cup and the 1998 World Cup. In the first two competitions, Spain fell in the quarterfinals against Italy and England, respectively.

At the 1998 World Cup, they were dropped from the competition in the group stage. On September 5, 1998, in the first qualifying match for Euro 2000, Spain lost to Cyprus by three goals to two and Clemente was dismissed from office.

An important

fact about Javier Clemente

is that he led the Spanish team for sixty-two games, in which he achieved thirty-six victories, twenty draws and six defeats. Between September 7, 1994 and January 28, 1998, he chained a streak of thirty-one undefeated matches.

At that time, it was the best numbers of a Spanish coach, although their results were later improved by Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. His period at the helm of the national team was marked by his continuous friction with the media, especially those of Grupo PRISA.

Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Olympique de Marsella, and CD Tenerife

In the 1998-99 season, Javier Clemente managed Real Betis Balompié, becoming the fourth coach of the Sevillian team in three months, after Luis Aragones, António Oliveira and Vicente Cantatore.

He began his work with Betis on matchday 7, when he was in the last position of the table, and ended up leaving him in 11th at the end of the season.

On matchday 9 of the 1999-2000 campaign he was signed by

to replace the dismissed Bernd Krauss. The San Sebastian team was, at that time, the seventeenth classified.

La Real finished the league thirteenth and Clemente was renewed for the following season, in which he was dismissed on matchday 6, with the team in relegation places after having won one victory, two draws and three defeats.

Later, although his priority was to coach a Spanish club, the RFEF regulations did not allow it, so he was forced to look for work in the French League.

Between November 2000 and April 2001, he coached Olympique de Marseille for thirteen matches. Clemente won his first game as coach in France against AS Saint-Étienne, but did not finish the season, leaving the team in 13th place on matchday 30 of the championship. On matchday 26 of the 2001-02 season, he was hired by CD Tenerife

Third stage at Español and Athletic Club

In the 2002-03 campaign, after matchday 14, he was called up for the third time by RCD Espanyol to try to save the team, penultimate five points away from permanence.

A notable fact about Javier Clemente is that he became the third parakeet trainer so far this season, after Juande Ramos and Ramón Moya. After seven wins, twelve draws and five losses, the team finished 17th, seven points above relegation, for which Clemente was renewed.

On matchday 10 of the 2003-04 season, he was dismissed due to the poor performance of the team, leaving Espanyol at the bottom of the First Division. In his departure, Clemente criticized the sale of some important players, especially Roger García.

After almost two years without training, in 2005 he was hired by Athletic Club to relieve José Luis Mendilibar. It was day 10 and the Bilbao club was the last classified in the table.

An important fact about Javier Clemente is that he managed to save the team, which finished the year in 12th place, six points from relegation. The following year he was chosen to start the new project but was dismissed before the competition began for criticizing the transfer policy of Fernando Lamikiz's board of directors.

Clemente had requested a series of signings that included Gorka Iraizoz, Raúl García, Iñaki Muñoz, Josu Sarriegi andIgor Gabilondo; however, the only additions to the club that summer were Gabilondo, Sarriegi and the then youth of CA Osasuna, Javi Martínez.

Clemente declared that instead of what he had requested, they had brought him a "little boy" that he did not know, arguing that it was "as if you ask for bread and they bring you nocilla." After leaving the club, the coach declared that "Lamikiz has vilely sold me.”

Serbian national team

On July 21, 2006, Clemente became the coach of the Serbian soccer team. He arrived in the Balkan country at the initiative of the president of the Serbian Football Association, Zvezdan Terzić.

He made his debut on August 16 against the Czech Republic and renewed an aging team, incorporating new values ​​such as Milan Smiljanić. Although they kept their options until the last game, the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008, being overtaken in the qualifying phase by Poland and Portugal.

In September 2007, Clemente suffered a domestic accident at his home in Bilbao that made it impossible for him to travel by plane to Belgrade, so he traveled 2,320 kilometers by car in order to lead the team. Upon his arrival he was greeted like a hero by hundreds of fans and by the Serbian minister for sports.

Javier Clemente was fired on December 6, 2007, having coached Serbia for sixteen games, in which he achieved seven wins, seven draws and two losses.

Real Murcia and Real Valladolid

On March 6, 2008 he was signed by Real Murcia CF to try to keep the team in the First Division. Last in the standings on matchday 27, the paprika team had won one of the possible twenty-four points prior to Clemente's arrival.

The numbers did not improve and the team finished the league penultimate. Despite this, Clemente continued with Real Murcia the following season in the Second Division, returning for the first time to the silver category since he left Bilbao Athletic in 1981. He was dismissed after matchday 16, with the team in relegation places to Second B.

At the end of the 2009-10 season, Real Valladolid CF hired Clemente after the dismissal of Onésimo Sánchez to try to rescue the Blanquivioleta team from relegation, at that time seven points from salvation.

He led the team during the last eight league games in which he added twelve points after collecting three wins, three draws and two losses. Despite this, Real Valladolid fell on the last match day at the Camp Nou, when they were defeated 4-0 by FC Barcelona.

Cameroonian national team

On August 17, 2010, he was appointed coach of Cameroon, replacing Paul Le Guen, who resigned after losing all the games in the 2010 World Cup group stage.

During the qualifying phase for the 2012 Africa Cup, the Indomitable Lions collected a record of three victories, two draws and one defeat, remaining out of the final phase of the competition. For this reason, on October 24, 2011, Clemente was dismissed.

Real Sporting de Gijón

On February 13, 2012, he was hired as the new coach of Real Sporting de Gijón, replacing Iñaki Tejada, when the team was six points away from salvation.

On March 17, he added his 500th game as a First Division manager in a 2-1 loss to Granada CF at the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium. In total, he led Sporting in six games, winning five times, drawing three and losing eight.

These numbers, despite having allowed the team to reach the last day of the championship with salvation options, did not prevent the relegation of the Rojiblanco team to the Second Division after losing the last game against Málaga CF at La Rosaleda.

At the end of the season and the expiration of his contract, it was announced that he would not continue at the helm of Sporting.

Libya national team

On September 24, 2013, an agreement to lead the Libyan team was made official. After four months in office, he managed to lead the African team to the 2014 African Nations Championship, a fact that marked the first international title for the Libyan federation.

On 9 October 2016, he was removed from his post as Libya coach following a 4-0 loss to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On May 25, 2021 he re-signed with Libya, being his second stage at the head of the African team.

Some quick facts about Javier Clemente:

Clemente, nicknamed El rubio de Barakaldo (The blond from Barakaldo) because of his hair color and hometown, managed Spain in two World Cups and Euro 1996.

Clemente, who was born in Barakaldo, Biscay, joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system at the age of 16 after playing for local Barakaldo CF.

Manager Agustin Ganza propelled him to the first team at the age of 18, making his official debut against Liverpool in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (2–1 home win, 3–3 aggregate triumph); he was also selected for the 1969 Copa del Generalsimo Final against Elche CF, a 1–0 victory in Madrid, alongside fellow teenage newcomer José Mara Igartua.

In the 1969–70 season, Clemente's greatest La Liga production with his first and only club was 18 games. He sustained a catastrophic leg injury (fibula and tibia) during a league match against CE Sabadell FC on November 23, 1969, from which he never completely recovered; after four fruitless surgeries, he retired at the age of 24.

An important fact about Javier Clemente is that he began instructing as soon as he retired. Arenas Club de Getxo, CD Basconia, and Athletic's reserves were his first destinations.

Clemente, who was 31 at the time, was assigned to Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 1981. In his second and third years, he led the team to back-to-back national titles, but he also began a bitter rivalry with César Luis Menotti and his

– the Argentine criticized his playing style as authoritarian and his teams as defensive and destructive, while the Spaniard dismissed Menotti as an ageing hippy and womanizer; the final of the Copa del Rey in 1984 ended in a massive brawl.

After a run-in with star player Manuel Sarabia, Clemente quit the Lions halfway through the 1985–86 season.

He was then hired as coach of fellow league club RCD Espanyol, guiding them to a best-ever third place finish in 1987 and the UEFA Cup final the following year, before being sacked of his responsibilities in March 1989 after questioning his squad's drive — the Catalans' season ended in relegation.

A notable fact about Javier Clemente is that he had brief stints in the top flight with Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and Espanyol in the following years.

After Spain failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 1992, Clemente was named manager of the country, succeeding Vicente Miera. His first match in charge was a 1–0 friendly win over England on September 9, and he went on to win the following three major international tournaments, the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, and Euro 1996, despite being eliminated in the group stage of the latter and having a run of 31 games without defeat.

Clemente's last game in command was a 2–3 loss in the Euro 2000 qualifiers in Cyprus on September 5, 1998.

Following his removal from the national team, Clemente returned to club football with

, Real Sociedad, CD Tenerife, Espanyol for the second time, a one-season stint in Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille, and a return to Athletic Bilbao.

In the 2005–06 season, he helped the latter escape relegation, but was sacked just before the new campaign began due to a dispute with Chairman Fernando Lamikiz.

An important fact about Javier Clemente is that he managed San Mamés in 289 official matches during his three years in charge, a club record.

Ernesto Valverde surpassed his total of 211 league matches managed, finishing with 228, but was unable to match his record of victories: the former won 141 games – 102 in the league – while the latter came up one short, with 140 and 101, respectively.

Clemente was named as the new coach of Cameroon on August 17, 2010, after spells with Real Murcia (top level and Segunda División) and Real Valladolid (eight games in charge, top flight relegation). He replaced Paul Le Guen, who stepped down after three losses in three games at the 2010 World Cup.

On 4 September, he made his Lions Indomptables debut in a 3–1 away win over Mauritius in the opening match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. He was dismissed on October 25, 2011, after the country finished second to Senegal and thus failed to qualify for the finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

A notable

fact about Javier Clemente

is that he was named the new manager of Sporting de Gijón on February 13, 2012, with a contract that runs until the conclusion of the season.

In May, he left Asturias after their relegation; in the process, he played his 500th game in the Spanish first division, a 12–2 away loss to

.

Clemente was named Libya's manager on September 20, 2013, succeeding Abdul-Hafeedh Arbeesh, who was fired after a 0–1 loss to Cameroon in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

With a penalty shootout win over Ghana in the final in Cape Town, he led the country to its first silverware, the 2014 African Nations Championship. However, as the defending champions, he was unable to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2016 African Nations Championship.

Following a 4-0 defeat to DR Congo in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in 2016, he was fired. In May 2021, Clemente was re-appointed as Libya's head coach.

Javier Clemente social media

Regarding

Javier Clemente social media

, it should be mentioned that he has a Twitter account (

) with more than 88k followers. He often posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Javier Clemente body measurements

Speaking about

Javier Clemente body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the coach is 168 cm and 72 kg.

Javier Clemente net worth and salary

Javier Clemente's net worth

is estimated to be around $10 million, with his primary sources of income being association football manager and association football player. We don't have enough information about Javier Clemente's automobiles or lifestyle.

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