Iñigo Larrainzar Santamaría (born 5 June 1971) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back.
Also a central defender on occasion, his older brother Domingo, often referred to as Larrainzar I, was also a footballer, and both played at Osasuna.César Azpilicueta supera a Iñigo Larrainzar al llegar a los 100 partidos con sólo 20 años y 9 meses de edad (César Azpilicueta passes Iñigo Larrainzar by reaching 100 games at only 20 years and 9 months) ; Diario de Navarra, 6 April 2010 (in Spanish)Qué fue de… Iñigo Larrainzar: otro canterano osasunista en Bilbao (What happened to… Iñigo Larrainzar: another Osasuna youth player in Bilbao); 20 minutos, 10 July 2014 (in Spanish)
Club career A product of hometown CA Osasuna's youth academy and reserve team, where he played alongside future Athletic Bilbao teammate José Mari, Pamplona-born Larrainzar made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 21 March 1990 in a 1–0 away loss to Rayo Vallecano, and was definitely promoted to the main squad for the following season; aged 19, he was instrumental, as was brother Domingo, in helping the Navarrese side to finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.Aquella UEFA de hace 20 años (That UEFA from 20 years ago); Diario de Navarra, 4 October 2011 (in Spanish)
In the summer of 1993, Athletic Bilbao paid 200 million pesetas to acquire Larrainzar's services, then the second-highest figure by the club, and he was an undisputed starter in the following campaigns. In 1997–98, alongside youth graduate Aitor Larrazábal who played on the opposite flank, he featured in 34 matches and scored two goals to help the Basques to a runner-up place, with direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
After some years battling for first-choice status with younger Jesús María Lacruz, who also represented Osasuna (although they did not coincide),Doce defensas para nada (Twelve defenders for nothing); El País, 2 April 2002 (in Spanish) and also dealing with injuries,Larrainzar conocerá mañána su lesión (Larrainzar will learn about his injury tomorrow); El País, 25 January 1999 (in Spanish)Larrainzar: "Toshack pretendía tapar otros males" (Larrainzar: "Toshack was looking to cover up other wrongs"); Diario AS, 17 January 2002 (in Spanish) Larraínzar moved south for Córdoba CF in the Segunda División,Larrainzar: "No he venido aquí para cubrir expediente y pasar de largo" (Larrainzar: "I did not come here to sow my wild oats) ; Diario Córdoba, 11 February 2004 (in Spanish) where he played a further two seasons. He retired at the age of 34, with 366 top-flight appearances to his credit.Jon Andoni Goikoetxea e Iñigo Larrainzar, leyendas a ambos lados de una Copa (Jon Andoni Goikoetxea and Iñigo Larrainzar, legends at both sides of a Cup); Diario de Navarra, 28 February 2023 (in Spanish)
International career Larrainzar was capped once for Spain. On 19 January 1994, he played the entire 2–2 friendly against Portugal in Vigo.España, de cal y arena (Spain, heads and tails); Mundo Deportivo, 20 January 1994 (in Spanish)
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