José Eulogio Gárate Ormaechea (born 20 September 1944) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker for SD Eibar, SD Indautxu and Atlético Madrid. Born in Argentina, he played for the Spain national team at international level.

Club career

Gárate was born to Basque parents in Argentina and grew up in Eibar, Spain. He began his career with SD Eibar in 1960 before joining SD Indautxu in 1963. Just like two earlier Indautxu players, Chus Pereda and Miguel Jones, he was controversially overlooked by Athletic Bilbao and like Jones he eventually joined Atlético Madrid. Along with Luis Aragonés, Adelardo, Javier Irureta, Enrique Collar, and Ufarte, he was a prominent member of the successful Atlético side of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Gárate helped the team win La Liga three times, the Copa del Generalísimo twice, reach the final of the European Cup and win the Intercontinental Cup. He was a notable goalscorer, winning the Pichichi three consecutive seasons (1968 to 1970) and scoring the winning goals in the 1972 and 1976 Copa del Generalísimo finals. During his time at Atlético, Gárate played 241 games and scored 135 goals.

International career

Gárate also played 18 times for Spain and scored 5 goals. He made his debut on 22 October 1967 against Czechoslovakia and played his last game against Romania on 17 April 1975. During this period Spain failed to qualify for either the European Championships or World Cup, and as a result he never played in the finals of a major international competition.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours