Sergio Navarro, idol in Debrecen as modest club eyes Europe | OneFootball

Sergio Navarro, 46, has transformed Debreceni’s season, lifting them to third in NB I, four points off Ferencvaros and seven behind leaders Gyori ETO with 10 matches left. As reported by as.com, they escaped relegation on the final day last year and now sit in Conference League positions.

Born in Huelva while his father played at Recre, and Castellón by adoption, Navarro played for Villarreal before starting out as a coach in the youth ranks at Castellón then Villarreal. He moved abroad in his early thirties to Rubin Kazan, first as methodology director then assistant, and was on the staff when they knocked Atleti out of Europe. Briefly head coach at Karpaty in Ukraine, he later assisted Paco López at Levante, then became Athletic’s academy director at Lezama, the club’s first non-Basque in that role, before taking over Debreceni this season, joking that even his wife did not know why he said yes.

Four Spaniards followed, Víctor Camarasa, Fran Manzanara, Adrián Guerrero and Álex Bermejo, though Navarro stresses nationality does not guarantee minutes. He is keen for his staff to be recognised too, assistants Roberto Robles and Álex Pallarés, fitness coach Sergio Mañas and physio Abde, with the group now idolised in Debrecen.

Attendances average about 7,000 and have peaked at 12,000 or 13,000, and the aim is to fill the 20,340-seat Nagyerdei Stadion in the run-in.

Navarro cites Paco López’s people skills, Ernesto Valverde’s clarity and Kurban Berdyev’s defensive work, adding that Bilbao and Vila-real shaped his player-led methodology built on freedom with responsibility.

Initially hired by Five Eleven Capital, he stayed when an English investor group took charge. With a deal to 30 June, he says the club may want him to remain, but he will weigh all options with his staff, with European qualification the immediate target.

Proud of his time at Athletic, he highlights nurturing Jauregizar, Rego, Padilla and Shelton into the first team, and believes more prospects could emerge within two years given the club’s structure and strong identity.

Source: as.com