Where is the ex-Spanish football coach today?

As a documentary about how the Spanish women’s soccer team came together after their infamous 2023 FIFA World Cup victory, Netflix’s ‘It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football’ is unlike any other. That’s because it underlines everything from their initial struggle to be taken seriously to the then president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, Jenni unexpectedly kissed Hermoso after their historic win. It is therefore no surprise that this original production mainly features the team’s former head coach, Ignacio Quereda, especially considering that he proudly held that position for over 27 years.

Ignacio Quereda evolved from player to coach

Although born in Madrid, Querea, Ignacio first fell in love with football while growing up on the streets of Badajoz, which led him to play in youth teams. He was actually a right winger for Real Madrid’s under-19 organizations but gradually evolved and represented his country at the 1973 and 1975 World University Games before suddenly deciding to move up a gear. He thought it would suit him better to be involved in the sport from the sidelines, which led to him obtaining his coaching certificate in the 1970s, after which he briefly served as Spain’s assistant coach and as head coach of the Tercera Division club CD Móstoles. .

Ignacio’s relative success in these positions was the reason that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) appointed him head coach of the women’s national team in 1988, where he stayed until 2015. Unfortunately, this institution never won titles under his supervision. but they did qualify for several tournaments and often even posed a challenge to others, but they never progressed beyond knockouts. Nevertheless, he still managed to be one of the longest-serving coaches of all time, despite many claiming that this was because the federation did not really care about the women’s team at the time. The internal feeling was that they had this division because they had to do so according to FIFA guidelines, and that is possibly why the many complaints against Ignacio have been dismissed over the years.

Ignacio Quereda reportedly had a problematic status

According to the aforementioned series, Ignacio often treated the female athletes under his wing as his daughters rather than professional football players. He reportedly pinched their cheeks, became way too comfortable around them and would even talk in the locker room or make homophobic comments in front of them. However, the one aspect that most experienced players vividly remember is that when discussing strategy in front of a literal drawing board, he would often draw twelve players, even though the game was played with only eleven players.

This particular thing reportedly made the athletes feel like they weren’t being taken seriously in any way and that their coach wasn’t entirely qualified for the job despite his long career either. They reportedly raised concerns about this, but they were fired until he was eventually replaced by Jorge Vilda in 2015 after Spain’s poor performance in their first-ever Women’s World Cup. This was before it ever came to light that he also reportedly made rude comments about the girls’ physiques. Therefore, Ignacio finished his career with 139 games under his belt as a head coach, with a winning percentage of just 38.13%.

Ignacio Quereda apparently leads a quiet life these days

Since Ignacio formally retired on July 30, 2015, he has seemingly chosen to stay away from the spotlight and hustle and bustle of the professional sports world for privacy reasons. The fact that the women’s team was constantly surrounded by controversy in the following years is probably another reason why he remained quiet, but he has always made it clear through his actions that he truly loves football and believed he was the best man for the job. of head coach while he served. Today, however, at the age of 74, it seems like he is simply living a quiet, comfortable life near his loved ones in his home country, while probably also trying his best to dabble in other hobbies.