A new stage

When you reach certain levels in professional football, it is no longer just about titles or experience.

Anyone interviewed for a position in the Premier League, for example, will have the UEFA Pro Licence, have coached in different leagues, or come from a professional football background as a player or coach. So what sets us apart?

That is where your method comes into play. Your personality. Your culture. Your ability to create environments that improve the team, the club and everyone working with you. That is what really defines me. I don’t want to be chosen just for my CV, but for what I can contribute day to day. That is how I have operated from the very beginning.

I started out as a player in Spain’s semi-professional leagues – the third and fourth tiers – combining playing with my studies. There was a point when I realised I was as passionate about analysing the game as playing it – the tactics, the preparation, the reasons behind things. So I studied sports science and at just 20 years old I was coaching.

That is when I discovered what still drives me today: being on the grass. It is there that you have the education of and relationship with the players. Since then, that connection with my daily work has not changed. No matter the years that have passed, the clubs I have worked for or the countries I have worked in, being on the grass still excites me just as much as it did on the first day.

“I have never been through such a complex selection process”

My career had taken an unexpected turn thanks to a recommendation while I was studying at university. At that time I was also working at the Valencia academy with the Under-15s and felt settled in the city. But one of my lecturers encouraged me to do an Erasmus exchange – a European Union programme that supports education, training, youth and sport in Europe – which would be in the United Kingdom. At first I was reluctant, because it didn’t appeal to me. I felt very comfortable in Valencia. Then I thought, “Why not? Learning English always helps.”

That changed my life.

I arrived in London when I was 21 and immediately fell in love with the city, its pace and football culture. I went to Premier League matches, got to know clubs and talked to lots of people. After a few months I didn’t want to go back to Valencia. I asked to extend my Erasmus programme to a whole course and finished my degree between Valencia and London. Since then my professional life has been linked to the UK.

I started from the bottom. First, I trained at local clubs and small academies. It was during one of those training sessions that people from the Football Association noticed me. They were interested in how I worked, how I organised the session and how I communicated with the players. Someone from the FA approached me and asked if I would like to send them my CV. So I did, but without any expectations.

A few weeks later, they called me for an interview. I went through five tests, with all kinds of requirements: football, psychology, English, leadership… I have never been through such a complex selection process. Fortunately, I passed.

That marked the beginning of a crucial chapter. I spent four and a half years at the FA, completing my UEFA B, A and Pro Licences. I put a lot into my development during that time and it opened doors for me.

“A unique opportunity came along with an incredible project”

One of those opportunities was at Chelsea’s academy. During a course I met Paul Clement, Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea at the time. He was learning Spanish, we quickly connected, and he told me about a vacancy in the Under-15s. Paul spoke highly of me to the director of grassroots football and I was interviewed. That was how my time began at one of England’s most powerful youth academies, where I was lucky enough to coach players including Mason Mount, Reece James, Dominic Solanke and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The talent was exceptional, but beyond the names, what really mattered were the demands, structure and standards the club upheld.

Then a unique opportunity came along with an incredible project at the Nike Academy. Nike created an Under-21 team with players who didn’t have contracts but had potential. They brought them to England, provided them with accommodation, training and coaching at the FA’s national football centre at St George’s Park. Our goal was to get them signed by a professional club. We travelled the world, playing against Under-21 teams from Norway, North Korea and Brazil. We also played against teams wearing the Nike brand, such as PSG and Roma. In fact, we operated better than many top-tier clubs.

That is where I learned something crucial – how to generate energy in environments where the players have no contracts, no stability, but plenty of hunger. Energy is one of the key qualities for an assistant and their relationship with the head coach. It is not about empty optimism, but about conveying attitude, supporting the group and backing the head coach. Energy shows in the tough days, when results don’t go your way or when the dressing room feels tense. That is when the assistant has to be a pillar.

After my time at Nike, I moved to MK Dons. I started as head of methodology, then took charge of the Under-21s, and eventually became an assistant with the first team. Those four years were intense. We won our Under-21 league, reached a cup final and it helped me make a clear decision. I wanted to be a coach, not a methodology director.

The time had come to focus on being on the bench. That step was Crawley Town, where I was assistant coach for the first team. It was where a phase began that would change my perspective on everything – working with Julen Lopetegui. I met Julen at the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation when I was doing my UEFA Pro Licence and he was working with the Spanish Under-21 team, although he was already considering a move to Porto. We got on well and, over time, his son Dani came to study in London and helped me with training sessions.

Years later, Julen called me. He wanted me to join his staff at Wolves. Everything was set, but shortly before I arrived at Wolves, he signed for the Spanish national team. It wasn’t meant to be at that time, but later, after leaving Sevilla, he called me again. This time it happened, at Wolves, working in a Premier League team.

“There are days when you need to protect the dressing room and days when you have to send messages upwards”

Being with Julen felt like going back to university for me. Workdays from 8am to 8pm, training sessions with his assistants Pablo Sanz and Óscar Caro, analysis work with Juan Peinado – set-pieces or video editing – player meetings, press conferences, and meetings with the board. Being so close to Julen allowed me to see first hand what it means to lead a Premier League club.

That was when I understood that another key aspect of being an assistant is leading the staff. Not the players – that is the head coach’s responsibility – but the coaching team. The head coach can’t be everywhere, so the assistant has to coordinate with the groundsmen, the medical team, the analysts. They must ensure everything runs smoothly. That everything flows. Sometimes it is as simple as anticipating a logistical problem or acting as a link between departments. That quiet management is what makes the difference.

Julen is a demanding person, but he also trusts you. If he sees that you are working hard, he gives you space. And in that space, I learned things that are not taught on courses. For example, that every press conference has a purpose. That you have to choose your words carefully. That there are days when you need to protect the dressing room and days when you have to send messages upwards.

During those months, I also understood another of the assistant’s key skills: emotional intelligence. Because it is not all about systems or formations. It is about reading the player, anticipating tensions, avoiding conflicts before they explode. You are working in a multicultural environment, with egos, hierarchies and moments of high pressure. Being a good assistant also means being a good people manager.

Humility is another key trait for an assistant. You are not there to shine. You are there to help and support the head coach. To work behind the scenes and do so with pride. I am proud to have been part of the process without needing to be in the spotlight.

“I am not interested in getting there at any cost. I want to get there properly”

Because I know I added value and all that is only possible if you have the foundation of knowledge. Not just tactical knowledge, but knowledge of the context. The league, players, training sessions and planning. Without knowledge, everything else falls apart. You can’t be among the elite if you don’t have a deep understanding of your environment.

My time with Julen ended in a very natural way. In 2025, he was given the opportunity to manage the Qatar national team, something he was excited about, and I felt it was time to take the leap. We had a very honest conversation. For me, Julen is family. We closed that chapter with respect, gratitude and mutual admiration.

Now I am at a new stage – becoming a head coach. I know I am ready. Everything I have experienced has been part of this journey. To achieve this, I talk to agents, sporting directors, and study leagues. I am broadening my horizons. It is no longer just the Premier League or La Liga. It could be Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sweden. I am ready to lead a project because I feel the time has come. And if I have learned anything over the years, it is that labels carry weight. If you spend many years as an assistant, you are seen as an assistant. That is why it is now, because I believe there are times when you have to make brave decisions.

I do it based on my values. I would rather take an extra year or earn a little less than compromise my principles. I am not interested in getting there at any cost. I want to get there properly, with integrity, preparation and the conviction that I can create a winning culture wherever I work. Because, in the end, that is who I am – a coach who believes in development, the process, and in people. That is the path I want to follow, as I have from the very beginning.

The time has come to write a new line on my CV.