Having played mainly for Real Sociedad and Barcelona,[2] he began his career as a forward (not being a prolific scorer) but was converted into an attacking midfielder, possessing passing and scoring ability (with both his right foot and his head, the second despite his short stature) and great leadership skills.

[3] Bakero then signed for FC Barcelona, where he was joined by several other Real and Basque players: Txiki Begiristain, Luis López Rekarte, with Julio Salinas coming from Atlético Madrid but having also played with Athletic Bilbao, as another Real player, Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, joined two years later – they would form the backbone of the legendary Dream Team.

[6] Having appeared scarcely during 1996–97, his last game coming on 18 November 1996 in a 6–1 home thrashing of Real Valladolid in which he scored,[7][8] Bakero retired later that campaign after a small abroad stint with Mexico's C.D.

His debut came on 14 October 1987 during an UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Austria, replacing future Barcelona teammate Francisco Carrasco in a 2–0 home win.

He also worked as a sports adviser with the Generalitat de Catalunya and, in 2004–05, had his second head coaching experience, joining Málaga CF's B side in January 2005[12] and helping them narrowly escape relegation from Segunda División.

[18] While the team was last in the league at that point, not only did he manage to prevent relegation but also led them to a win against city neighbours Legia Warsaw, the first in ten years.

[24] In 2015, Venezuelan club Deportivo La Guaira hired Bakero as interim technical director, to help the new coaching staff by running training sessions.