José Landazabal

Early career

Born in Durango, Biscay, on 7 January 1899, Landazabal began to play football in the youth ranks of local club Irala-Barri FC and Hispania, helping the latter side win the Children's championship in 1913, at the age of 14, doing it so while playing "with espadrilles in every game". It was probably around this time that he was nicknamed Lakatos because, in January 1914, the great star of the Hungarian Ferencvaros team, Imre Schlosser Lakatos, was in San Mamés. In 1914, the 15-year-old Landazabal was signed by New Club, who paid him 60 pesetas a month and accommodation; two seasons later, he played a crucial role in helping them win the North second category in the 1916–17 season.

Bilbao and Barça

At New Club, Landazabal stood out for his adapting and physical qualities, which eventually drew the attention of Athletic Club, who signed him in 1917 to replace the great Félix Zubizarreta. He made his debut for Bilbao in a Biscay Championship match against Real Unión on 6 October 1917, which ended in a 1–2 loss as Unión went on to win the title. In total, he played seven official matches for Bilbao, the last of which was on 6 January 1918, also against Unión, but this time ending in a 1–0 victory. On the advice of Paco Bru, Landazabal joined the football team of the popular electrical company La Canadiane, the so-called Canadienses FC, which was dissolved shortly after either because it was not serious for a company to have a football team or because…

Landazabal earned only one cap for the Catalonia national team, which was held on 24 February 1924 against Avenç del Sport as a tribute match to Gabriel Bau.

After retiring from football, Landazabal ran his own automobile business, but it later fell apart. He was found dead of natural causes in the pension where he lived in Bilbao, on 5 February 1970, at the age of 71.

Barcelona Catalan championship: Champions (2): 1918–19 and 1919–20 Copa del Rey: Champions (1): 1920 Runner-up (1): 1919