LaLiga Santander coaches who tasted title glory as players

As a coach, there’s nothing quite like having been there and done it yourself when it comes to trying to explain to your players what it means to clinch the title and compete in a competition as demanding as LaLiga Santander. We profile the select cohort of coaches who are able to do just that after having enjoyed top-flight trophy success in their playing days.

• Diego Simeone 

Argentine coach Diego Simeone is a true LaLiga icon. Indeed, he is the only current top-flight coach to have accomplished the impressive feat of clinching league honours as both a player and coach. The Atletico Madrid boss spent six seasons of his playing career in LaLiga Santander. The former midfield enforcer checked in at Sevilla FC in 1992 and spent two seasons with the club, before his love affair with Atleti began. He produced the best form of his career in a Rojiblancos’ shirt and was a member of the historic side that lifted the double in the 1995/96 campaign.

Simeone returned to the capital club in 2011 as head coach as he sought to restore the competitive and winning spirit that had been the hallmarks of his beloved club during his playing days. The Argentine coach has now been at the helm for the past 10 seasons, during which time he has twice delivered the LaLiga Santander crown, with the latest of these successes coming last time out.

• Ronald Koeman 

The Dutch coach heads into his second season in the Barça dugout looking to repeat the league triumphs he enjoyed as a player. Koeman’s stellar playing career earned him legendary status at the Catalan club, where he enjoyed a six-season stint that saw him clock up 192 appearances and find the net 62 times. The Dutchman claimed a league winners’ medal in each of the seasons between 1990/91 and 1993/94 and was a key member of the FC Barcelona side that etched its name into the history books.

• Julen Lopetegui 

The Basque tactician took up the reins at Sevilla FC in 2019 and was tasked with making the Andalusian outfit into a side capable of going toe to toe with the division’s big boys. Last season saw the Sevillians remain in the hunt for the title up until the last few matchdays, before ultimately securing a fourth-placed finish for a second successive season.

The former goalkeeper chalked up a total of 111 appearances in the Spanish top flight and kept 30 clean sheets. His maiden campaign in the top tier came in the 1989/90 season, when he turned out for Real Madrid, with whom he won his only league title.

• Michel Gonzalez 

There’ll be a familiar face in the Getafe CF dugout next term as Michel Gonzalez returns to his former stomping ground. The Madrid-born coach will be aiming to excite the club’s supporters and will be keen to pass on his experiences as a player to the members of his squad.

Indeed, Michel boasts an impressive LaLiga Santander trophy haul after having captured the title on no fewer than six occasions with Real Madrid. He was a member of the famous Quinta del Buitre generation that wrote its name into Los Blancos’ folklore and featured 404 times and plundered 96 goals in the competition.