The foreign army: Spanish technicians in charge of other countries

About twenty Spanish coaches have been included in some technical organization charts of foreign Olympic teams competing in Paris. The majority are primary selectors although there are also assistants in various areas. And Spanish talent is exported, above all, in handball, basketball and artistic swimming, but also in water polo, soccer or even volleyball.

Handball is the sport with the biggest Spanish presence on the benches, with up to four ‘head coaches’ in the foreign legion. Chema Rodríguez (44 years old) is an international center back who remained active until 2020, when he decided to take the direction of coaching. He went through Portuguese club Benfica and two years ago they offered him the position of Hungarian coach; During this period, he made the Magyars formidable rivals. Juan Carlos Pastor (56 years old) is another globetrotter. He was the Spanish coach who won gold in the 2005 World Cup and, after a decade in Hungarian Szeged, he was in charge of Egypt for a year where another Spaniard, Eduardo Izquierdor, his right hand, worth the contradiction.

Carlos Viver (51 years old) is also a Spanish coach, in his female case, and won silver in the World Cup. Since the beginning of the year, he has been in charge of the Angolan women’s team, where he also works as the coach of the country’s leading club, Primero de Agosto.

And perhaps the most famous case is the ‘coach’ of FC Barcelona Antonio Carlos Ortegawho was in Paris leading the Japanese men’s team as he did in 2016 and 2017, before his time at the Palau Blaugrana began.

Basketball is another case that experienced a ‘boom’ thanks to the performance of the player from Badalona Jordi Fernandez (41 years old), new ‘head coach’ of a Canadian team seriously competing for a medal in Paris. His great performance allowed him to become the first Spaniard to have an NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets, under his tutelage. Another Spanish coach appears on his organizational chart in Canada, Victor Lapeñaand another man with a Barça past, the Senegalese centre Boniface Ndong.

César Garcia Rupérez (49 years old) has been working in China for several years, where he coached the Shanxi Riu Flame, and is now listed as an assistant for the country’s women’s Olympic team.

Artistic swimming is another important breeding ground for exporting ideas. Andrea Fuentes (41 years old) was established for many years as the leader of the American synchronized team and his fame only grew when he saved the life of one of his swimmers in the middle of the World Cup when he remained submerged for too long. Your generation companion Paula Klamburg (34), also a Spanish international from the golden era, appears as an assistant in the Australian team. The former Spanish coach Esther Jauma (47) is now leading the Netherlands team. And the ‘mother’ of them all, Anna Tarres (56), always restless and in high demand, is working in Paris with the Chinese team, the main favorite for gold at these Games.

Ibai Gomez (34 years old) stood out as a player in the Athletic Club and last year he made his debut as a coach in the Santutxu youth team. In February of this same 2004 he accepted the offer to be the Olympic coach of the Dominican Republic and he included Fernando Amorebieta, Inigo Larriquetato the physical trainer Omar Fernandezto the nutritionist Endika Montiel and the tactical analyst Gonzalo Rubio.

Perhaps the most unusual case is that of Fernando Muñoz (54 years). Spanish coach between 2011 and 2020, since then he has coached in Turkey, Greece, Belgium and Romania until leading the Egyptian men’s team in 2024.

Finally, the oldest: the famous Joan Jane (71 years old). Even now, 28 years later, he holds the honor of being the last Spanish coach to win Olympic gold in team sports, the Atlanta ’96 gold they achieved. You stretch, sans, Rollan and company. He was in Paris with Chinese women, with whom he had had experiences at various stages of his career.