Pablo Hernández, Year One at CD Castellón: the making of a great coach | OneFootball

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, CD Castellón supporters are witnessing the making of a great coach. One year on from taking charge, Pablo Hernández, one of their own, has married results with a clear identity and has his side top.

His 45th game arrived at Girona, where he claimed a 24th win. Across 42 league matches he has taken 83 points, an average of 1.97 per game in a division defined by parity. By comparison, Johan Plat averaged 1.08 in 24 outings and Dick Schreuder 1.26 in 23.

On 16 September 2025, Castellón dismissed Johan Plat and the same day appointed Hernández as interim. His only senior experience had been with the B team, where he won the title and sealed a historic promotion to Segunda RFEF.

He inherited a side without a win, just two points from the first five rounds. He debuted in the sixth match, won and convinced, rode an early surge then a dip, and turned Castellón into a championship sensation that contested the play-off before earning a June renewal.

Now under contract until June 2029, the 41-year-old is among Spain’s most coveted young coaches, his rise mirroring the club’s. A local and academy graduate who helped prevent the club’s disappearance in 2017, achieving promotion to Primera would read like a fairytale.

His blueprint prioritises control without sterile possession, playing in the opposition half, pressing high and creating chances, accepting risk with balance. The approach aligns with the club and, as the league position shows, he is making it work.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”