![]() Giráldez in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jonatan Giráldez Costas | ||
Date of birth | 27 November 1991 | ||
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.
Jonatan Giráldez Costas was born on 27 November 1991, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. [1] Growing up, he played football with local clubs Sárdoma, Coruxo and Areosa between 1997 and 2012, but even when young decided he would be better coaching. [2] Having studied sports science in Pontevedra, [3] he moved to Barcelona in 2012 to study sports instruction. [4] In his early years in Catalonia, he commentated on matches. [3]
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. [5] 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. [5] [6]
In 2019, he joined the coaching staff of Lluís Cortés at FC Barcelona Femení, following Fran Sánchez' dismissal. [7] Spending three years as a technical assistant, Giráldez held an increasingly important role in training and game strategy; [3] [4] the team reached the UEFA Women's Champions League finals, [2] 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. [8] At the end of this season, Cortés left the position as manager; [9] 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. [3] Two days later, Giráldez was formally announced to be taking over, initially on a one-year contract. [10] [11] His first match in charge of the club, a pre-season friendly, saw Barcelona defeat Elche 17–0. [12]
For his first season in charge, the 2021–22 season, Giráldez won the Best Coach award in the Marca Women's Sports Awards Gala. [13] [14] At the start of the 2022–23 season, Giráldez' contract was renewed until the end of the 2023–24 season, [15] 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. [16] [17] In June 2023, Giráldez coached the team to their second Champions League title in the 2023 UEFA Women's Champions League final. [18] For the exceptional season, he received various awards and nominations, including winning the IFFHS Women's World's Best Club Coach award [19] and placing third for both the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year Award [20] and The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award. [21]
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. [21]
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. 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. [22] The newspaper also felt that Giráldez, through his time as assistant and then manager, had set up the team for continued success, praising that "[they] have developed a desired combination of technical prowess and working out how to get the result over the line." [22]
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". [21] There had been rumours that he was leaving Barcelona to join an NWSL team. [21] Spanish sports media announced later in the day that Giráldez was set to join the NWSL club Washington Spirit; [23] the club formally announced his signing on 9 January 2024, ahead of the 2024 NWSL Draft, [24] and he took up the position on 24 June 2024.
Giráldez is married and had a son in 2023. [25] [21]
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 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 [c] | NWSL Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last update on 16 June 2024 |
![]() Giráldez in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jonatan Giráldez Costas | ||
Date of birth | 27 November 1991 | ||
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.
Jonatan Giráldez Costas was born on 27 November 1991, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. [1] Growing up, he played football with local clubs Sárdoma, Coruxo and Areosa between 1997 and 2012, but even when young decided he would be better coaching. [2] Having studied sports science in Pontevedra, [3] he moved to Barcelona in 2012 to study sports instruction. [4] In his early years in Catalonia, he commentated on matches. [3]
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. [5] 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. [5] [6]
In 2019, he joined the coaching staff of Lluís Cortés at FC Barcelona Femení, following Fran Sánchez' dismissal. [7] Spending three years as a technical assistant, Giráldez held an increasingly important role in training and game strategy; [3] [4] the team reached the UEFA Women's Champions League finals, [2] 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. [8] At the end of this season, Cortés left the position as manager; [9] 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. [3] Two days later, Giráldez was formally announced to be taking over, initially on a one-year contract. [10] [11] His first match in charge of the club, a pre-season friendly, saw Barcelona defeat Elche 17–0. [12]
For his first season in charge, the 2021–22 season, Giráldez won the Best Coach award in the Marca Women's Sports Awards Gala. [13] [14] At the start of the 2022–23 season, Giráldez' contract was renewed until the end of the 2023–24 season, [15] 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. [16] [17] In June 2023, Giráldez coached the team to their second Champions League title in the 2023 UEFA Women's Champions League final. [18] For the exceptional season, he received various awards and nominations, including winning the IFFHS Women's World's Best Club Coach award [19] and placing third for both the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year Award [20] and The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award. [21]
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. [21]
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. 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. [22] The newspaper also felt that Giráldez, through his time as assistant and then manager, had set up the team for continued success, praising that "[they] have developed a desired combination of technical prowess and working out how to get the result over the line." [22]
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". [21] There had been rumours that he was leaving Barcelona to join an NWSL team. [21] Spanish sports media announced later in the day that Giráldez was set to join the NWSL club Washington Spirit; [23] the club formally announced his signing on 9 January 2024, ahead of the 2024 NWSL Draft, [24] and he took up the position on 24 June 2024.
Giráldez is married and had a son in 2023. [25] [21]
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 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 [c] | NWSL Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last update on 16 June 2024 |