Carlos García Badías

Carlos García (footballer, born 1984)

Carlos García Badías (born 29 April 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former professional footballer who played as a central defender. He is the current head coach of Eerste Divisie club Jong Ajax.

He spent most of his playing career with Almería, playing 208 competitive matches for the club and appearing in three La Liga seasons. Additionally, he had a four-year spell with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League.

Playing career Club Espanyol and Almería Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, García was a product of local RCD Espanyol's youth ranks. He would only appear for the first team on three occasions, during the 2003–04 season (three defeats), also serving a loan stint with Polideportivo Ejido in the Segunda División the following campaign.

García stayed in Andalusia in 2005, being sold by Espanyol to second-division UD Almería. He was a starter from the beginning, being instrumental in their first-ever La Liga promotion in the 2006–07 campaign.

Deemed surplus to requirements by manager Hugo Sánchez, García was loaned to neighbours Real Betis for 2009–10's second-tier season. After not being able to help the Verdiblancos return to the top flight he rejoined Almería, being first-choice under new manager Juan Manuel Lillo and both his successors José Luis Oltra and Roberto Olabe, scoring once in 33 games as they were eventually relegated after a four-year stay.

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Alanyaspor García moved abroad for the first time in his career in June 2012, signing a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. in the Israeli Premier League. In his first season he was teamed up in the centre of defence with Eitan Tibi, with the pair performing solidly as the club won the national championship after a ten-year drought.

Aged 29, García made his debut in European competition in the 2013–14 campaign, featuring in both the UEFA Champions League qualification matches and the UEFA Europa League group stage. In the domestic front he was part of the squad that set a new league record for minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing Hapoel Haifa FC's 585 from 1999.

García retired in 2017 at the age of 33, after one season in the Turkish Süper Lig with Alanyaspor.

International García was part of the Spain under-16 squad at the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in England, winning the tournament alongside top scorer Fernando Torres. Two years later, he contributed seven starts for the under-20s as they finished runners-up to Brazil in the FIFA World Cup.

Managerial career Immediately after retiring from playing, García returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv as assistant coach to compatriot Jordi Cruyff. The pair worked together again in the Chinese Super League, serving as assistant manager at Chongqing Dangdai Lifan F.C. and Shenzhen FC. García also reunited briefly with Cruyff in 2020 during his stint with the Ecuador national football team.

In January 2022, García took on his first head coaching role with Liga Leumit side Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam FC. He subsequently returned to assistant roles, working with Serie A's Udinese Calcio and Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire FC.

On 27 June 2025, García was appointed head coach of Albanian Kategoria Superiore side Flamurtari FC, leaving the club by mutual agreement in October 2025.

In February 2026, García joined Dutch side AFC Ajax, initially appointed as assistant coach for reserve team Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie. Shortly thereafter in March 2026, he stepped up to serve as assistant manager for the senior Ajax team alongside Óscar García. Following organizational restructuring ahead of the 2026–27 campaign, García was appointed head coach of Jong Ajax on 1 July 2026.

Honours Maccabi Tel Aviv Israeli Premier League: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 Israel State Cup: 2014–15

Spain U20 FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2003