The upcoming LaLiga campaign is set to feature several talented tacticians, including coaches who have won numerous titles throughout their careers.
The 2025/26 LaLiga season is just around the corner, with the first matchday of the upcoming campaign kicking off on August 15. Top-flight newcomers such as Xabi Alonso and Eder Sarabia will look to leave their mark, while long-serving bosses such as Diego Simeone, Manuel Pellegrini, Míchel and Ernesto Valverde will aim to further cement their status in Spanish football history.
Here is a look at the coaches who will be in charge of the 20 LaLiga sides at the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign.
DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS - EDUARDO COUDET
Coudet took over the team following the dismissal of Luis García Plaza last December. Under the former RC Celta coach, Deportivo Alavés secured safety, finishing two points above the relegation zone. Heading into their third straight season in LaLiga, the Argentinian will now look to establish the Basque side in the top flight.
ATHLETIC CLUB - ERNESTO VALVERDE
Valverde’s third spell as an Athletic Club coach has been incredibly successful. After leading the team to their 24th Copa del Rey trophy and their first since 1984, the 61-year-old tactician saw the Basques finish fourth last season, clinching a return to the Uefa Champions League for the first time in a decade. Having inspired FC Barcelona to back-to-back league titles in 2017/18 and 2018/19, Valverde has demonstrated he has what it takes to make Athletic Club fans’ dreams come true.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID - DIEGO SIMEONE
Entering his 14th full season as Atlético de Madrid coach, Simeone is by far the longest-serving coach in both LaLiga and the club’s history. Having been appointed back in December 2011, the Argentinian has won eight trophies with Los Rojiblancos, including two league titles in 2013/14 and 2020/21, as well as Uefa Europa League silverware in 2011/12 and 2017/18. Last season, Atleti finished third in the table, securing Champions League qualification for the 13th straight season.
FC BARCELONA - HANSI FLICK
It's the second season in charge at FC Barcelona for the German coach, who won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in his first year. Having previously been assistant coach for Germany's 2014 World Cup champions squad and head coach of a treble-winning Bayern Munich side, the 60-year-old will aim to help Barça defend their league title this term.
REAL BETIS - MANUEL PELLEGRINI
Currently the second longest-serving coach in the league, Pellegrini joined the Andalusian club back in July 2020. Last season, he inspired Real Betis to a sixth-place finish, clinching European qualification for the fifth consecutive campaign. Pellegrini also led his team to their first-ever European final, losing the Uefa Conference League decider against Chelsea back in May. Having previously won the Premier League with Manchester City, the experienced tactician also left his mark with successful spells at Málaga CF and Villarreal CF in the past.
RC CELTA - CLAUDIO GIRÁLDEZ
Appointed as RC Celta coach back in March 2024, following a spell as the boss of their B team, last season he led the Galicians to their highest league finish (seventh) in almost a decade. Aged 37,
Giráldez is the youngest coach currently plying his trade in the top flight. His RC Celta side were one of the youngest and most entertaining teams last term, scoring a league fifth-best 59 goals.
ELCHE CF - EDER SARABIA
All it took was one season in charge of the team for Sarabia to lead Elche CF back to LaLiga. Sarabia was previously part of Quique Setién's coaching staff at UD Las Palmas, Real Betis and FC Barcelona, before his first job as head coach came in 2021, when he was appointed by FC Andorra, whom he led to LALIGA HYPERMOTION promotion for the first time in the club’s history. Coming from a season where they conceded the fewest goals (34) in the second tier, Sarabia’s Elche CF will look to establish themselves in the top flight.
RCD ESPANYOL - MANOLO GONZÁLEZ
After leading RCD Espanyol to promotion last summer, González managed to help his team secure safety thanks to a 2-0 home win over UD Las Palmas in last term’s final matchday before extending his contract through to 2027. One of the youngest coaches in the league at the age of 46, the former RCD Espanyol B boss will now look to build on the foundations laid since joining the Catalan side.
GETAFE CF - JOSÉ BORDALÁS
Currently in his second stint as Getafe CF boss, Bordalás is considered nothing short of a club legend at Los Azulones. His first spell at the club kicked off in September 2016, leading the team to LaLiga promotion in his first season. He then went on to inspire Getafe CF to a historic fifth-place finish in 2018/19, securing Uefa Europa League qualification and reaching the Round of 16. Bordalás returned to the club in April 2023, with the upcoming season being his ninth in charge of the team.
GIRONA FC – MÍCHEL
Set to enter his fifth season as Girona FC’s boss, Míchel has gradually turned himself into a club legend. After clinching LaLiga promotion in his first season, the 49-year-old led Girona FC to a historic third-place finish in the top tier, clinching their first-ever qualification for the Uefa Champions League. Considered one of the most talented Spanish coaches, Míchel will look to help his team bounce back after finishing 16th last term.
LEVANTE UD - JULIÁN CALERO
Levante UD are back in LaLiga for the first time since the 2021/22 campaign, with Calero helping the team clinch promotion in his first season at the club. After finishing top of the LaLiga Hypermotion table last term, the 54-year-old will coach in the top flight for the first time in his career following stints at Rayo Majadahonda, Burgos CF and FC Cartagena in the lower categories.
RCD MALLORCA - JAGOBA ARRASATE
Having narrowly missed out on European qualification last season, Arrasate is set to kick off his second campaign at RCD Mallorca. The Basque coach had previously spent six seasons at CA Osasuna, where he became a club legend by leading the team to Uefa Conference League qualification, as well as the Copa del Rey final in 2023, losing the decider to Real Madrid. Now, he will aim to lead Los Bermellones to European qualification for the first time since the 2003/04 campaign.
CA OSASUNA - ALESSIO LISCI
A historic run saw Lisci lead CD Mirandés to the LaLiga Hypermotion playoffs for the first time in club history. Yet, they didn’t manage to overcome Real Oviedo in the final, with Lisci bidding an emotional farewell to the team before joining CA Osasuna this summer. The 39-year-old will coach in Spanish football’s top flight for the second time in his career after briefly taking charge of Levante UD in 2021, following stints in the youth sides and B team.
REAL OVIEDO - VELJKO PAUNOVIĆ
Having inspired Real Oviedo to a historic return to LaLiga after 24 years, Paunović is set to coach in the top tier for the first time in his career. Having previously plied his trade as a player for several Spanish teams, including Atlético de Madrid, CD Tenerife and RCD Mallorca, the 47-year-old returned to coach Real Oviedo in March 2025. Having won nine of his 14 games in charge and lost just one, he helped the Asturians clinch promotion to the top tier. One of the most successful moments in his career came in 2015, when he led Serbia all the way to Fifa Under-20 World Cup glory.
RAYO VALLECANO - ÍÑIGO PÉREZ
After securing safety for Rayo Vallecano in 2023/24, Pérez led the team to European qualification for just the second time in club history following an eighth-place finish last term. He first joined the club as assistant to his former Athletic Club teammate Andoni Iraola before becoming coach of the first team following Francisco's dismissal in February 2024. In his second full season at Rayo, he will aim to lead the team to new heights.
REAL MADRID - XABI ALONSO
After a successful spell as a Real Madrid player, Xabi Alonso returns to Los Blancos as coach, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. Having won a domestic treble by clinching the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2024, the Basque tactician became a legend at Bayer Leverkusen, whom he also led to the Uefa Europa League final that same season. Xabi Alonso has already celebrated both a league title (2011/12) and Uefa Champions League glory (2013/14) with Real Madrid, and he will now aim to emulate that success as coach of the team.
REAL SOCIEDAD - SERGIO FRANCISCO
Imanol Alguacil’s eight-year stint at the club has come to an end, with former Real Sociedad B coach Sergio Francisco being set to take the reins of the team ahead of the upcoming campaign. A Real Sociedad youth graduate himself, the 46-year-old climbed up the coaching ranks at the Basques before accepting the challenge to coach the first team in 2025/26.
SEVILLA FC - MATÍAS ALMEYDA
Another coach returning to the team where he plied his trade as a player in the past, Almeyda has taken charge of Sevilla FC this summer. Following stints at River Plate, Banfield, C.D. Guadalajara and the San Jose Earthquakes, Almeyda was appointed by Greek side AEK Athens, whom he inspired to their first domestic double since 1978. He will now look to help Sevilla FC bounce back after three seasons in which they missed out on a top-half finish.
VALENCIA CF - CARLOS CORBERÁN
Corberán took charge of Valencia CF with the team sitting bottom of the league table after collecting just 12 points from 18 games back in December. The 42-year-old managed to turn Los Che’s season around, with the team even joining the race for a European spot in the last stretch of the 2024/25 campaign before finishing 12th. Corberán had previously coached Championship sides Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion, as well as Greek powerhouse Olympiacos.
VILLARREAL CF – MARCELINO
Set to kick off his fifth campaign across two stints as a Villarreal CF coach, last season Marcelino helped his team clinch fifth spot and Champions League qualification for the upcoming term. Having won the Copa del Rey with Valencia CF in 2018/19 and the Spanish Super Cup with Athletic Club two years later, Marcelino has established himself as one of the finest Spanish coaches of the last few years.