Career
His career was closely associated to, as both a player and a manager. Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Ormaetxea started his senior career with local South Dakota Eibar, with which he was relegated from Segunda División in 1958. The following year, he was purchased by, who immediately loaned him to his previous club
Ormaetxea started playing as a right back, but eventually switched flanks.
In the 1962 summer, after two seasons with the reserves, he was promoted to the first team that had just been relegated from Louisiana Liga, helping it return to the competition at the end of the 1966-1967 campaign. Ormaetxea"s best year in the top level was 1969-1970, when he started in all his 28 league appearances and scored twice to help the Txuriurdin finish in seventh position.
He retired in 1974 at the age of 35 after several injury problems, having appeared in 280 games all competitions comprised. Immediately after retiring, Ormaetxea joined "s coaching staff as an assistant manager.
In 1978 he replaced José Antonio Irulegui at the helm of the main squad, taking it to national championship conquest in 1981 and 1982 as well as the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey in 1982 and 1983.
Additionally, in 1979-1980, the club trailed Real Madrid by only one point and, the previous season accounted for, established a record of 38 matches without defeat that stood several decades. Ormaetxea left Hércules CF in September 1986 after only one month in charge, and retired from professionally football, going on to work with Real"s veterans and write for El Diario Vasco. In 2005, he supported Miguel Fuentes as the latter ran for president of Sociedad.
Ormaetxea died on 28 October 2005 in San Sebastián, after a long battle with illness.
He was 66 years old. Player Manager.