The Washington Spirit has confirmed the appointment of Barcelona Femeni manager Jonatan Giraldez as its new head coach.
Giraldez informed the Spanish club last month of his decision to leave at the end of the current season.
The Athletic reported that the 32-year-old had received a bigger offer from the NWSL and the Spirit confirmed his impending arrival on Tuesday, saying he brought a “proven track record of winning at every level of the women’s game.
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Owner Michele Kang said of Giraldez, who will replace Mark Parsons: “We conducted an extensive global, data-driven search and found that Jona is the best choice to lead our players.
“His commitment to excellence and high-performance is second to none and the results speak for themselves including consecutive La Liga and Supercopa titles and multiple top coach honors. We are grateful for his decision to join us. He will help take the Spirit to the next leveI for both players and fans.”
Spirit president of soccer operations Mark Krikorian said: “Jona knows how to develop players into champions. He will bring a beautiful style of play to the Spirit that we know our fans will enjoy.”
Giraldez — one of three nominees for FIFA’s Best Coach award in women’s football — led Barcelona to the second Champions League title in their history last season. He won Liga F and the League Cup in both of his full seasons in charge, as well as the Copa de la Reina in his debut campaign.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the team and become part of the Washington Spirit family,” Giraldez said. “It’s a great honor and a greater responsibility to help bring the club to the next level so I will dedicate my heart and soul to make everyone around the team proud and part of something great.
“I really want to thank Michele and Mark for the opportunity my family and myself have been given. I will be looking forward to meeting the staff, players and fans in DC soon.”
The Spirit won the NWSL Championship in 2021 before Kang took full control of the team, but the club has since failed to make the playoffs two season in a row.
It said it would appoint an interim head coach before Giraldez takes charge later this year, with the Liga F season in Spain concluding on June 16.
Analysis: Michele Kang continues to outspend the competition
When Giraldez announced his departure from Barcelona last December, he denied that he was leaving over money.
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He told media in a press conference that Barcelona had made him an attractive offer, which he said “valued me a lot, not only me but also the rest of the staff.”
All the same, Barcelona reportedly could not compete against the Spirit’s bid.
It’s just the latest in Michele Kang pouring money into the Spirit to bring in more resources and big names, such as hiring noted sport science/performance manager Dawn Scott and allowing her to build out a large staff.
However, Giraldez will surely be keeping in mind that his predecessor, Mark Parsons, was fired without much ceremony two days after the Spirit lost a game they needed to make playoffs, with no chance to talk about rebuild or change in the offseason.
Kang, and by extension current GM Mark Krikorian, understandably wants results, and not having a playoff team (perhaps even a championship team) is clearly unacceptable.
(Photo: Getty Images)
