In football coaches on the sacred touch-line and locker room across the world, transitioning from the old guard to the newbies is becoming the order of the day.
As coaching continuously evolves a new generation of Spanish football managers constantly emerged, dazzling the world with their tactical acumen, motivational skills, youthful drive and charisma.
No doubt these trailblazers represent the future of football coaching, but the question is who are the best youngest Spanish managers currently making waves in world football?
- 1. Xabi Alonso – (Bayer Leverkusen)
- 2. Mikel Arteta – (Arsenal)
- 3. Xavi Hernandez – (Unattached)
- 4. Miguel Angel Michel – (Girona)
- 5. Andoni Iraola – (Bournemouth)
- 6. Diego Martinez – (UD Las Palmas)
- 7. Jagoba Arrasate – (RCD Mallorca)
- 8. Claudio Giraldez – (Celta De Vigo)
- 9. Manolo Gonzalez – (Espanyol)
- 10. Ruben Baraja – (Valencia)
- 11. Inigo Perez – (Rayo Vallecano)
1. Xabi Alonso – (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Spaniard achieved all there was to achieve when elegantly patrolling the midfield of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich during his active days.
Since his retirement in 2017 with a total of 17 major honours, Alonso has been painstakingly honing his managerial career with Real Madrid’s U-14 and Real Sociedad’s B team whom he led into Spain’s Segunda Division in 2021.
In a remarkable transformation of Bayer Leverkusen to the pinnacle of German football having taken over the reign at BayArena in 2022, he completed an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in 2024 winning the club’s first Bundesliga title and first DFB Pokal since 1993.
2. Mikel Arteta – (Arsenal)
The story of Arteta from his early days as a player to becoming an influential coach who redefined Arsenal to a competitive team is worthy of commendation.
His arrival at the Emirate stadium marked a significant turning point for the Gunners, bringing a fresh perspective and much-needed rejuvenation the club lacked since Wenger’s departure.
Under his guidance, the Gunners have experienced a resurgence in the Premier League, displaying a level of performance and cohesion that had been missing in the years before his appointment in 2019.
3. Xavi Hernandez – (Unattached)
Not every phenomenon player during their professional career found transitioning from player to coaching quite easy, but in Xavi’s his stint in the Middle East helped him hone his coaching skills at Al-Sadd before a dream move to Barcelona.
The route to the top job at Barcelona comes with a lot of demands and expectations as a legend of the club, but in the end, he was able to tipped-toe the sacred touch-line of Camp Nou.
He left in a manner not befitting of a club legend, but before his reign came to an end he won the Supercopa de Espana and the 2022-23 La Liga title for the Catalonia outfit.
4. Miguel Angel Michel – (Girona)
The story of Michel’s managerial career comes with some sort of mixed feelings, leading three clubs in the second division to promotion on three occasions while also facing dismissal twice.
After a torrid time at Rayo Vallecano and Huesca, fortune smiled on him in 2021, when he took the reign as the head coach of Girona even though the appointment came with its own challenges.
Now looking at his vibrant presence marked by his animated demeanor along the touchline and fervent coaching style, you could easily say his coaching style is reminiscent of some of the best.
5. Andoni Iraola – (Bournemouth)
If there’s any young Spanish tactician who is quite committed to his philosophy and principles, it is Andoni Iraola, one of the finest managers from the Basque region.
Right from his time in Spain, he has built a solid reputation for himself, following a strong showing in La Liga but his decision to move on stemmed from a stint at Rayo Vallecano.
Certainly not the best manager in the Premier League, but his body of work, style of play, and principles since he arrived at Bournemouth undoubtedly rank him among the best youngest Spanish tacticians.
6. Diego Martinez – (UD Las Palmas)
Martinez is one of the youngest Spanish gaffers in world football who has grown in leaps and bounds with his coaching prowess.
The 43-year-old coaching journey started from humble beginnings in the regional and local leagues of Andalucia, where his talent and tactical prowess quickly caught the eye of many clubs.
He essentially made his name at Granada where he inspired the club to La-Liga promotion, and also oversaw their continued evolution to such an impressive extent that led them to the knock-out stages of the Europa League
7. Jagoba Arrasate – (RCD Mallorca)
Jagoba Arrasate, also known as ‘Basque Klopp’, is one of the highly revered youngest Spanish managers, one could easily say is obsessed with high-pressing energy and retaining possession.
He first made a name for himself at Osasuna where achieved promotion back to La-Liga at first attempt and also maintained top-flight status before he left for RCD Mallorca.
Since taking on the challenge of replacing Javier Aguirre at Mallorca, he has instantly hit the ground running for Los Bermellones with his philosophy and high-pressing style of play.
8. Claudio Giraldez – (Celta De Vigo)
Giraldez is a home-grown coach who came through the Galician club’s ranks to become head coach, having been in charge of the youth teams at all levels from 2016 to 2022.
Following the team’s struggle in La Liga, he made the jump to the first team and instantly steadied the ship with a convincing performance that got him a permanent deal at the helm.
The 36-year-old Spaniard may not be on the level of the established order yet, but his appointment as Celta’s boss simply suggests they trust him to lead the team to the pinnacle of football in Spain.
9. Manolo Gonzalez – (Espanyol)
If playing and managing at the highest level are the parameters to judge a personality like Manolo Gonzalez, then it’s easy to castigate his coaching prowess.
The Galician-born has been coaching for more than two decades after a serious injury forced him to retire early, but he’s never been in charge of a top-flight side like the Catalonia outfit.
Gonzalez, now in charge of Espanyol is gradually making a name for himself in La Liga as one of the youngest coaches in the league.
10. Ruben Baraja – (Valencia)
Baraja is a former player and legend of Valencia, who donned the colours of the Mestalla outfit in the early 2000s with grit, panache and dexterity.
Now saddled with the responsibility of returning the club to the pinnacle of Spanish football, following his appointment in February after a poor run of form under the tutelage of Gennaro Gattuso.
Since taking the reign at the Mestalla he has steadied the sinking ship of Valencia with the combination of his young and experienced players in the team.
11. Inigo Perez – (Rayo Vallecano)
Andoni Iraola’s former assistant hasn’t set the coaching world alight yet with his tactical nuances, but he is gradually carving out a reputation for himself at the Vallecas.
He almost joined his compatriot at the Vitality stadium to continue his career as an assistant, but failure to meet the home office’s criteria for a work permit killed his dream of working in the Premier League.
As a young coach who is just developing it is just a matter of time before bigger clubs would come knocking on the door for his appointment, considering how swiftly he is growing and learning.
Honorable Mention
- Borja Jimenez – (Leganes)
- Albert Celades – (Unattached)
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