Aitor Karanka de la Hoz (born 18 September 1973) is a former footballer who played mainly as a central defender (on occasion, he occupied the left back position), and the current manager of English club Middlesbrough. Except for a brief spell in the United States, at the age of 32, he played solely in Spain for Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid, appearing in 275 La Liga games over the course of 13 seasons and winning a total of seven major titles with the latter.