Nando Yosu, Spanish football player and manager , Died at 76

  Sports

Fernando Trío Zabala/Nando Yosu was born on July 8, 1939, in Mungia, Basque Country and died on February 20, 2016.

He was a Spanish football midfielder and manager.

Nando extensive tenure, as both a player and coach, was mainly associated to Racing de Santander.

He played professionally during roughly one decade, appearing in 122 matches in La Liga where Nando played for Racing de Santander, Valencia CF, Athletic Bilbao and Pontevedra CF, retiring in 1972 at only 31 after spells with CF Calvo Sotelo in Segunda División and lowly Gimnástica de Torrelavega from Tercera División.

At the start, he was also loaned by Racing to Deportivo Rayo Cantabria, at the time acting as a feeder team.

Whilst with the Che he was used rarely in the league – also being loaned to Santander, but scored twice against FC Barcelona in the 1961–62 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, a 6–2 home win (7–3 on aggregate)Immediately after retiring Yosu began coaching at his last team Gimnástica, even though he did not possess the obligatory licence.

Nando then returned to main club Racing, starting with its youth teams.

He served as head manager for Santander, from 1977 to 1979, but would work with the club in several other capacities, from match delegate to director of football.

And, in no fewer than five occasions, as an interim manager in the 90’s/2000’s, he triumphantly led the side away from the relegation zone, always in the top level.

Yosu was honoured by the Government of Cantabria for his contribution to football in the area, in March 2007.

Nando Yosu retired from the football world for good in January 2009, after leaving his post as Racing’s director of football.

Nando Yosu passed away at 76 yrs old.