Jonatan Giráldez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Giráldez and the second or maternal family name is Costas.
Jonatan Giráldez
Giráldez with the Washington Spirit in 2024
Personal information
Full name Jonatan Giráldez Costas
Date of birth (1991-11-27) 27 November 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Team information
Current team
 Washington Spirit (head coach)
Youth career
Years Team
Matamá
Sárdoma
Coruxo
Areosa
Managerial career
Catalonia men U12
Catalonia women U16 (assistant)
Catalonia women U18 (assistant)
2019–2021 Barcelona Femení (assistant)
2021–2024 Barcelona Femení
2024– Washington Spirit

Jonatan Giráldez Costas (born 27 November 1991) is a Spanish football coach who is the current head coach of National Women's Soccer League team Washington Spirit.

Prior to joining the Spirit in 2024 he spent his entire career, including work in sports analytics, in Catalonia. Initially working in youth football, he joined FC Barcelona Femení as an assistant coach in 2019; he was promoted to head coach in July 2021, leading Barcelona to a domestic treble in the 2021–22 season, a treble including the Champions League in the 2022–23 season, and a continental quadruple in the 2023–24 season. Taking 10 of the 12 available trophies in his time as head coach, Giráldez' Barcelona Femení was considered dynastic.

Early years

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Jonatan Giráldez Costas was born on 27 November 1991, in Vigo, Galicia,[1] close to the Portugal–Spain border in Spain. He recalls understanding football before he could read, having watched intently with his grandfather. Growing up, he played football at any opportunity,[2] and had stints with local clubs Sárdoma, Coruxo and Areosa between 1997 and 2012, but even when young decided he would be better coaching.[3][2] Discussing his players' adaptability and comprehension of coaching instructions in 2024, Giráldez said that he "wish[ed] [he] had played football like [Keira Walsh] plays".[4]

Giráldez described the mentality of his family as one that sacrificed passions for practicality – noting that his grandfather had been a sailor and worked at a treatment plant despite wanting to be a gardener – but that he did not want to do this himself, and found a way to continue in football.[2] He studied sports science at the University of Vigo,[5][2] and then moved to Barcelona in 2012 to study a master's degree in sports instruction at the University of Barcelona.[2][6] In his early years in Catalonia, he commentated on matches and taught courses for people pursuing UEFA coaching licences.[5][2]

Career

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Youth teams

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Giráldez's first roles were in coaching and sports analytics for RCD Espanyol Cantera and the youth sections of the Catalonia women's national football team.[7] He then became the head coach of the under-12 Catalonia men's national football team, his first managerial role, and the assistant coach of the under-16 and under-18 Catalonia women's teams.[7][8]

Barcelona Femení

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In 2019, he joined the coaching staff of Lluís Cortés at FC Barcelona Femení, following Fran Sánchez' dismissal.[9] Spending three years as a technical assistant, Giráldez held an increasingly important role in training and game strategy;[5][6] the team reached the UEFA Women's Champions League finals,[3] and won most domestic titles in this era. The 2020–21 season, in which they won the continental treble, is considered one of the best in history.[10] At the end of this season, Cortés left the position as manager;[11] though Cortés' departure was rather unusual due to the team's monumental and growing success, it was reported that there were fractured relationships between him and some of the players, with all parties finding it beneficial to make the change.[5] Two days later, Giráldez was formally announced to be taking over, initially on a one-year contract.[12][13] His first match in charge of the club, a pre-season friendly, saw Barcelona defeat Elche 17–0.[14]

For his first season in charge, the 2021–22 season, Giráldez won the Best Coach award in the Marca Women's Sports Awards Gala.[15][16] At the start of the 2022–23 season, Giráldez' contract was renewed until the end of the 2023–24 season,[17] and on 5 March 2023, Barcelona played their 50th league match under Giráldez: in defeating Villarreal 5–0, the team also achieved their 50th consecutive league win under Giráldez, a perfect record for the manager.[18][19] In June 2023, Giráldez coached the team to their second Champions League title in the 2023 UEFA Women's Champions League final.[20] For the exceptional season, he received various awards and nominations, including winning the IFFHS Women's World's Best Club Coach award[21] and placing third for both the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year Award[22] and The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award.[23]

In December 2023, part way through the 2023–24 season, there were widespread rumours that Giráldez would leave the club upon the expiry of his contract on 30 June 2024; Giráldez confirmed later in the month that he was not renewing, adding that Barcelona's offer to give him a new contract had been very good and this was not a motivation. He did not reveal his new club, though said it was not in Europe because it was important to him that he would not have to play against Barcelona.[23] Still, there was some criticism in Barcelona in the months after the announcement, when it was suggested that Giráldez was more focused on his new team than overseeing the success of his current one; he dismissed this.[2]

Giráldez led Barcelona Femení to their first continental quadruple – of the league, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa and Champions League – in his final season with them, winning 10 trophies in his time as head coach of the team[24] and taking 130 wins from 139 games.[2] The Guardian opined that "Fairytale endings rarely exist but sometimes in football, the script really does write itself", in reference to him leaving the club on a high.[24] The newspaper also felt that Giráldez, through his time as assistant and then manager, had set up the team for continued success, writing that "[they] have developed a desired combination of technical prowess and working out how to get the result over the line."[24] Sport gave Giráldez a perfect 10 rating for the 2023–24 season, praising his ability to manage "a squad full of stars" both in terms of not being able to play everyone in every game, and in having all first-team players fit and able to play at the end of the season.[25]

Washington Spirit

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On 18 December 2023, in the break before the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season, Giráldez announced that he would leave Barcelona at the end of their season, primarily because he "believed that a change could be very good for [his] family".[23] There had been rumours that he was leaving Barcelona to join an NWSL team.[23] Spanish sports media announced later in the day that Giráldez was set to join the NWSL club Washington Spirit;[26] the club formally announced his signing on 9 January 2024, ahead of the 2024 NWSL Draft.[27] Giráldez chose Adrián González to be his assistant and interim head coach while he completed the European season.[28] He officially took over on 7 July 2024,[29] ahead of an extended period with no NWSL games. Instead, during the break for 2024 Olympic football, Giráldez' first matches with the Spirit are set to be in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.[28]

Personal life

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Giráldez is married and had a son in 2023.[30][23] He models his coaching tactics on Pep Guardiola.[2]

Having already spoken communicable English,[28] Giráldez sought to improve his language skills before moving to the United States in 2024, and swapped language challenges with Barcelona's Norwegian winger Caroline Graham Hansen as he helped her advance with Spanish and she helped his English.[2]

Managerial record

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Season Team League Federation Cup League Cup Continental Cup
Division Pos Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cup Pos Pld W D L GF GA Cup Pos Pld W D L GF GA Cup Pos Pld W D L GF GA
2021–22 FC Barcelona Femení Primera División 1 30 30 0 0 159 11 +148 90 Copa de la Reina 1 4 4 0 0 16 2 Supercopa de España 1 2 2 0 0 8 0 UEFA Women's Champions League 2 11 9 0 2 38 10
2022–23 Liga F 30 28 1 1 118 10 +108 85 DQ 1 1 0 0 9 0 2 2 0 0 6 1 1 11 9 1 1 40 10
2023–24 Liga F 30 29 1 0 137 10 +127 88 1 5 5 0 0 27 1 2 2 0 0 11 0 11 9 1 1 36 8
2024 Washington Spirit Regular Season Playoffs NWSL Challenge Cup DNC[a] CONCACAF W Champions Cup DNC[b]
NWSL Shield 2 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 3[c] NWSL Playoffs
Last update on 25 August 2024

Honours

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Manager

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FC Barcelona Femení

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Individual

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Notes

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  1. ^ The 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup was played before Giráldez took over; the Washington Spirit did not qualify based on the previous season's results.
  2. ^ The Washington Spirit did not qualify for the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup based on the previous season's results.
  3. ^ Giráldez took post as head coach mid-season on 7 July 2024.[29] This table only includes results after Giráldez took over.

References

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  1. ^ "Spain - Jonatan Giráldez". Soccerway. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Floyd, Thomas (2024-06-29). "Jonatan Giráldez built his life around soccer. Now he's a coaching prodigy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  3. ^ a b "Dentro de la máquina perfecta". farodevigo.es. Faro de Vigo. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. ^ Guevara, Irene (2024-05-25). "Keira Walsh, el ancla invisible en el mediocampo azulgrana". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  5. ^ a b c d Gillen, Nancy (2021-07-02). "Barcelona: Who is the new women's team manager Jonatan Giráldez?". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  6. ^ a b "Giráldez, un vigués premiado por su trabajo y constancia". mundodeportivo.com. Mundo Deportivo. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b "El vigués Jonathan Giráldez entrenará al Barcelona femenino". farodevigo.es. Faro de Vigo. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Washington Spirit Names FC Barcelona Femení's Jonatan Giráldez Costas New Head Coach". Washington Spirit. 2024-01-09.
  9. ^ "Lluís Cortés: "Ojalá pueda quedarme en el Barça muchos años"". sport.es. Sport. 27 January 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Jonathan Giráldez, un vigués en la cima". farodevigo.es. Faro de Vigo. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Este viernes se anunciará el nuevo técnico del Barça femenino: Giráldez, el elegido". mundodeportivo.com. Mundo Deportivo. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Jonathan Giráldez, nuevo entrenador del Barça femenino". elperiodico.com. El Periódico. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Jonatan Giráldez entrenará al Barcelona en esta temporada". as.com. As. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  14. ^ "17-0: el nuevo Barça femenino de Giráldez arranca sin piedad". mundodeportivo.com. Mundo Deportivo. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. ^ "El FC Barcelona, protagonista en la Gala Marca" [FC Barcelona, protagonists at the Marca Gala]. FC Barcelona.es (in Spanish). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Premios MARCA del deporte femenino" [MARCA Women's Sports Awards]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Laia Codina back at FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Barça 5–0 Villarreal: Business as usual after break". FC Barcelona. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Histórico Giráldez: ¡50 triunfos seguidos en Liga!" [Historical Giráldez: 50 wins in a row in the League!]. FC Barcelona (in Spanish). 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  20. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (3 June 2023). "Rolfö caps Barcelona comeback against Wolfsburg to win thrilling WCL final". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  21. ^ "IFFHS AWARDS 2023 – GIRALDEZ FIRST". IFFHS. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Sarina Wiegman wins 2022/23 UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d e Burhan, Asif. "Jonatan Giráldez Confirms He Will Leave FC Barcelona At End Of Season". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  24. ^ a b c Downey, Sophie (2024-05-25). "Jonatan Giráldez leaves Barcelona's women on highest of notes". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  25. ^ Tikas, Maria (2024-05-30). "El 1x1 de una temporada perfecta". Diario Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  26. ^ "El destino de Jonatan Giráldez: el Washington Spirit de Michele Kang, la magnate del fútbol femenino". Relevo (in Spanish). 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  27. ^ Brockway, Ella (2024-01-09). "Spirit finds its new coach in Jonatan Giráldez, who led Barcelona to dominance". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  28. ^ a b c Linehan, Meg; Herrero, Laia Cervelló. "How the Spirit landed the coach of one of the most successful teams in the world". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  29. ^ a b "New Spirit coach Giraldez to take full control in July". June 28, 2024.
  30. ^ Barcelona vs. Wolfsburg | UEFA Women's Champions League Final 2023 Full Match, retrieved 2023-06-04. From 4:02:12
  31. ^ "Giráldez, premiado por la Federación gallega de fútbol". www.sport.es (in Spanish). 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  32. ^ "Premios MARCA del Deporte Femenino, en directo | Marca". Marca.com (in Spanish). 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
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