José Bordalás

Coaching career Early years Bordalás worked exclusively in his region of birth for 19 years, his first job being at Alicante CF's reserves in 1993. The following year, he was appointed at the main squad.

After three years with as many teams, Bordalás returned to Alicante in 1998, taking them from the regional leagues to Segunda División B in only three seasons. His first experience in the Segunda División arrived with former club Hércules, replacing fired Juan Carlos Mandiá midway through 2005–06 and being sacked himself only seven games into the following campaign.

Bordalás returned to division three in 2007–08 with CD Alcoyano, leading the side to the first position in the next season and the subsequent failure in the promotion playoffs. In early October 2009 he terminated his contract amicably, signing with Elche CF of the second tier.

Alavés After two spells at AD Alcorcón, Bordalás was named Deportivo Alavés manager on 11 June 2015. He led the team back to La Liga after ten years in his first season, as champions, but was still relieved of his duties on 21 June 2016.

Getafe

Bordalás was hired by Getafe CF in September 2016, replacing the dismissed Juan Esnáider on a deal until the end of the campaign. He again won promotion to the top flight, this time by a 3–2 aggregate victory over CD Tenerife in the playoff final the following June. Following an eighth-place finish in his first season at that level, he led the Community of Madrid team to a best-ever fifth position and only missed qualification for the UEFA Champions League on the last matchday in May 2019; he earned the Miguel Muñoz Trophy for best coach for this feat.

Valencia Bordalás was appointed head coach of Valencia CF in May 2021, signing a two-year contract. On his debut on 13 August, his team won 1–0 against his previous employer. In his first season, the team reached the final of the Copa del Rey, where they lost on penalties to Real Betis.

On 3 June 2022, days after the sacking of chairman Anil Murthy, Valencia's owner Peter Lim announced that manager Bordalás would also be released, with Italian Gennaro Gattuso being brought in as replacement.

Getafe return On 29 April 2023, Bordalás returned to Getafe for the final seven games of the season, with the side in the relegation zone and having dismissed Quique Sánchez Flores. The following day, he oversaw a 1–0 loss at RCD Espanyol. After guiding them to safety, he signed a new two-year contract on 23 June.

On 10 June 2026, following a successful campaign in which the club qualified for the UEFA Conference League with a seventh-place finish, Bordalás renewed his contract for a further two years.

Style of management Bordalás is both well known and frequently criticised for anti-football techniques, including using highly defensive and aggressive tactics, often against bigger teams.

Personal life Bordalás' cousin, Juan Ignacio Martínez, was also a football coach.

Managerial statistics

Honours Alavés Segunda División: 2015–16 Segunda División Manager of the Month: May 2016 Miguel Muñoz Trophy: 2018–19 UEFA La Liga Coach of the Year: 2018–19