Jonatan Giráldez

Jonatan Giráldez Costas (born 27 November 1991) is a Spanish football coach who is the current head coach of Première Ligue team OL Lyonnes. He has previously coached the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and Liga F club Barcelona Femení.

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.

Early years Jonatan Giráldez Costas was born on 27 November 1991, in Vigo, Spain. He recalls understanding football before he could read, having watched intently with his grandfather. Growing up, he played football at any opportunity, and had stints with local clubs Sárdoma, Coruxo and Areosa between 1997 and 2012, but even when young decided he would be better coaching.

Giráldez described the mentality of his family as one that sacrificed passions for practicality – noting that his grandfather had been a sailor and worked at a treatment plant despite wanting to be a gardener – but that he did not want to do this himself, and found a way to continue in football. In his early years in Catalonia, he commentated on matches and taught courses for people pursuing UEFA coaching licences. He then became the head coach of the under-12 Catalonia men's regional football team, his first managerial role, and the assistant coach of the under-16 and under-18 Catalonia women's teams.

Barcelona Femení In 2019, he joined the coaching staff of Lluís Cortés at FC Barcelona Femení, following Fran Sánchez' dismissal. Spending three years as a technical assistant, Giráldez held an increasingly important role in training and game strategy; At the end of this season, Cortés left the position as manager; 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. His first match in charge of the club, a pre-season friendly, saw Barcelona defeat Elche 17–0.

For his first season in charge, the 2021–22 season, Giráldez won the Best Coach award in the Marca Women's Sports Awards Gala. At the start of the 2022–23 season, Giráldez' contract was renewed until the end of the 2023–24 season, 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. In June 2023, Giráldez coached the team to their second Champions League title in the 2023 UEFA Women's Champions League final. For the exceptional season, he received various awards and nominations, including winning the IFFHS Women's World's Best Club Coach award and placing third for both the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year Award and The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award.

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. The newspaper also felt that Giráldez, through his time as assistant and then manager, had set up the team for continued success, writing that "[they] have developed a desired combination of technical prowess and working out how to get the result over the line."

Washington Spirit 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". the club formally announced his signing on 9 January 2024, ahead of the 2024 NWSL Draft. Giráldez chose Adrián González to be his assistant and interim head coach while he completed the European season. He officially took over on 7 July 2024, ahead of an extended period with no NWSL games. Instead, during the break for 2024 Olympic football, Giráldez' first matches with the Spirit were in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Both the Spirit and OL Lyonnes are owned by Michelle Kang.

Personal life Giráldez is married and had a son in 2023. Marca Women's Sports Awards Best Coach: 2021–22, 2022–23 IFFHS Women's World's Best Club Coach: 2023, 2024