Soriano just gives the nod, the guy doing the hard work is Txiki.. Which definitely sound like a basque name to me, like Iraola![]()
Yes, he is Basque. Txiki is his nickname, means "Small". Used to play for Athletic rivals Real Sociedad, and moved to Barcelona with teammates Bakero and Lopez Rekarte.
As a curiosity, Iraola's and Begiristain's hometowns are 30km apart.