How Spain became football’s leading producer of coaches | OneFootball

Spanish coaches are shaping this spring, with the prospect they could sweep every European trophy.

L'Équipe notes that the Champions League final on 30 May in Budapest pits Luis Enrique’s PSG against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. Saturday’s Women’s Champions League final in Oslo has OL coach Jonatan Giraldez facing Barcelona, led by his former assistant Pere Romeu. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa meet Freiburg on Wednesday in the Europa League, and Iñigo Pérez’s Rayo Vallecano play Crystal Palace in the Conference League on 27 May.

Across 55 leagues, Spain has the second largest group of expatriate coaches, 38, behind Argentina on 54 and ahead of Portugal on 30. Ivan Cancela, who leads the RFEF coaching department, says education is the cornerstone. He cites major investment, greater specialisation and continual development.

Xabi Alonso has argued the pathway prizes the collective above individual flair, with team play learned early. Pepe Mel adds the game is guided by the head, so sessions revolve around the ball, even for physical work.

Cancela also points to a move from pure tiki-taka to a blend of positional play and space attacks, adapted to available profiles. He says Spain’s last Euro was won with many transition goals, and that adaptability is now decisive, with four of the Premier League’s top six led by Spaniards.

The pipeline looks strong too, with Claudio Giraldez at Celta, Eder Sarabia at Elche and Carlos Cuesta keeping Parma up after assisting Arteta.

Source: L'Équipe