Rafael Alkorta

Alkorta worked as an assistant manager to former Real Madrid teammate Míchel at several teams, including Olympique de Marseille and Olympiacos FC. In December 2018, following the election of Aitor Elizegi as the president of Athletic Bilbao, he was installed as the club's new sporting director, working with Andoni Ayarza and replacing the long-serving José María Amorrortu.

Rafael's son Iker received some media attention for modelling work in 2017.

In the first competition, in Italy, Alkorta played ten minutes in a 2–1 group stage win over Belgium, starting in a further 11 matches (ten complete) in the other senior tournaments combined.

Alkorta returned to Athletic in 1997–98, swapping teams with fellow defender Aitor Karanka. He helped the Basque side finish second in the first campaign upon his return and went on to feature regularly in the following years but, after only six matches in 2001–02, was released and decided to retire from the game aged nearly 34.

Alkorta's younger brother, Óscar, was also a footballer who was a midfielder. A fellow Athletic Bilbao youth graduate (alongside José Félix Guerrero who also had a more famous sibling in the first team), the younger Alkorta never made it past the reserves and played out his career in Segunda División B; the brothers were on the staff at Athletic together for a few months in 1997, between Rafael's return from Madrid and Óscar's move to CD Aurrerá de Vitoria. Óscar later worked as a youth coach at Athletic Bilbao, working under his older sibling from 2019.

Alkorta attracted the attention of Real Madrid, for whom he signed in the 1993–94 campaign (he was reluctant to make the move, but was persuaded due to Athletic's poor financial situation which was improved by the 350 million pesetas transfer fee). During his spell at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium he formed a notable partnership with Fernando Hierro for club and country, and accumulated more than 150 official appearances and two league titles.

Alkorta appeared in three World Cups with the Spanish national team during the 1990s.

An international since 26 May 1990 (a 1–0 friendly away win with Yugoslavia),Alkorta earned 54 caps for Spain during the next eight years. He played in three FIFA World Cups – 1990, 1994 and 1998 – and UEFA Euro 1996, also representing the country at under-16, under-18 and under-21 levels.

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Alkorta began playing as a child with local Athletic Club in 1978, and made his senior debut with the second team seven years later, making 44 Segunda División appearances before being promoted by Howard Kendall to the senior side for the 1987–88 season, making his debut in a 0–1 away defeat against Real Valladolid on 24 October 1987. He subsequently played 172 La Liga games, and established himself as an outstanding man marker.

Rafael Alkorta Martínez (born 16 September 1968) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a central defender, and is the sporting director of Athletic Bilbao.