Rafael Viteri

Rafael Viteri
Personal information
Full name Rafael María Viteri Chavarri
Date of birth (1952-07-11)11 July 1952
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Date of death 27 December 2025(2025-12-27) (aged 73)
Place of death Logroño, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Forward
Youth career
Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1972 Bilbao Athletic 67 (31)
1972–1973 Athletic Bilbao 14 (4)
1973–1980 Burgos 147 (33)
Total 228 (68)
Managerial career
1980 Burgos Promesas
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rafael María Viteri Chavarri (11 July 1952 – 27 December 2025) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward. He played 78 La Liga games and scored 19 goals for Athletic Bilbao and Burgos, as well as 83 games and 18 goals for the latter in the Segunda División, winning the title in 1975–76.

Career

Born in Bilbao, Viteri began his career at Athletic Bilbao, making 14 appearances and scoring four goals for the first team in La Liga in 1972–73.[1] He scored on his debut on 19 November 1972, opening a 4–1 loss away to Valencia, and added two more goals a week later in a 3–3 home draw with Real Oviedo.[2]

Viteri then moved to Burgos, where he contributed 12 goals to their promotion as champions of the Segunda División in 1975–76.[1] He scored 15 top-flight goals over the next two seasons,[1] but injuries led to his retirement aged 28, following relegation in 1979–80.[2]

Death

On 27 December 2025 Viteri died in Logroño, where he had lived for his final years. He was 73.[3] Athletic announced that their players would wear black armbands away to Osasuna for their next game, in memory of Viteri and of Juanan López, who had died the day before.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Fallece Rafael Viteri" [Rafael Viteri dies]. Diario de Burgos (in Spanish). 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b Rico, Julio César (27 December 2025). "Muere Viteri, aquel delantero del Burgos CF que deleitó a toda la Primera División de los años 70" [Viteri, that Burgos CF forward who delighted the entire Primera División in the 70s, dies] (in Spanish). Burgos Conecta. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  3. ^ "Fallece el logroñés Rafa Viteri, goleador del Athletic Club y Burgos en los años setenta" [Logroño resident Rafa Viteri, Athletic Club and Burgos goalscorer of the 70s, dies] (in Spanish). Nueve Cuatro Uno. 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Mueren los exjugadores del Athletic Juanan López y Rafa Viteri" [Ex-Athletic players Juanan López and Rafa Viteri die]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.