LALIGA Special: Behind the Invasion of Spanish Football Players and Coaches

It is common to see giant countries like Italy, Portugal, or Germany winning the European Championship. Spain, as one of the giants of European football, is somewhat different. Their dominance is not only reflected in the number of trophies but also in the players and coaches in top European leagues. Over the past decade, Spanish coaches and players have been in high demand by major clubs.

It is difficult to refute the opinion that Pep Guardiola is one of the best strategists on the green field in the world. The Spanish manager of Manchester City made history by leading his team to win the English Premier League four consecutive times from 2021 to 2024. In addition to Pep, England has also seen an influx of other Spanish managers such as Mikel Arteta, Andoni Iraola, and Unai Emery.

Not only in England, the influx of Spanish managers or coaches has also reached Italy with Cesc Fabregas managing Como 1907. In France, Luis Enrique has excelled by leading Paris Saint-Germain to secure two domestic titles this season. Enrique also took PSG to the final of the UEFA Champions League.

Regarding players, Spain is equally impressive. The prestigious Ballon d'Or 2024 award was given to Rodri, a graduate of the Atletico Madrid academy. In terms of trophies, the Spanish national team emerged as the best in the 2024 European Championship. The La Liga contestants, Real Madrid and Sevilla, are the record holders for the most titles in European club competitions.

Real has triumphed by winning 15 Champions League trophies, while Sevilla dominates the Europa League with seven trophies. The new European megastar, Lamine Yamal, is also a product of Spain's youth development system.

Through its coaches and players, Spain has been able to make significant contributions in the realm of European football. This applies not only to club level but also to the national team. The question then narrows down to the recipe for success behind all these achievements. Many factors are key to Spain's success in dominating the European football stage. However, one aspect that cannot be overlooked is the domestic competition, in this case, LALIGA.

The Spanish top flight is designed to find and nurture young talent. Based on data released by the CIES Football Observatory, home grown players in LALIGA have received far more playing time than in Europe's top five leagues this season.

The percentage of local players in LALIGA who received playing time reached 19.78 percent. Ligue 1 in France ranked second with 13.5 percent, followed by the Bundesliga (7 percent), the English League (6.4 percent), and Serie A (5.5 percent).

Countries are realizing that the Spanish style, methodology and philosophy can fit perfectly into various football competitions. - Juan Florit -

The Head of the Football Department of LALIGA, Juan Florit, explained that it is important to have a number of players in the first team, but it is even more crucial to ensure that they receive sufficient playing time. In Spain, Juan stated, all competition structures facilitate or at least provide a competitive atmosphere for all players.

“We have the first division, the second division, but then we have two important competitions in Spain where very young players, players aged 18, 19, and 20, even younger, compete against adults and with very high competitive demands. So, this allows players who are still very young to compete with the demands that they will face after the first and second divisions. So, the whole structure, the whole competitive structure of Spain, supports the development of young players,” Juan said in an interview with Kompas at the LALIGA headquarters, Madrid, Spain, Wednesday (21/5/2025).

The LALIGA training methodology is formulated through a long and continuous process. This process is never-ending as new ideas and elements are constantly added. Several details within the training methodology undergo changes each year, but the objective remains the same, which is to focus on the holistic development of players by considering four main areas.

The first area is what is referred to as the technical and coordinative aspects. Second, it encompasses the tactical and cognitive areas. This second area relates to everything concerning decision-making by the players, tactical knowledge, and their understanding of the game.

"We try to train in this area from an early age because many experts around the world believe that at a young age, you should focus on technical abilities, coordination, and skills. However, the reality is that we think and believe that young children also have the potential and capacity to understand and experience the tactical aspects of the game," said Juan.

The third area encompasses all factors related to physical and conditional capacity as well as biological systems. Lastly, the fourth area is more related to the mentality, psychological aspects, and emotional aspects of the players.

Training school

To produce skilled coaches, Spain does not have a specialized coaching school like Coverciano in Italy. Nevertheless, Spain has never run out of successful coaches due to the various ways individuals can pursue a coaching career. Typically, retired Spanish footballers quickly take the path to become coaches.

According to Juan, there are two ways to become a coach in Spain. The first method is the most common, which is the coaching course provided by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The general public can register to participate in the coaching license. RFEF also has a special system for former LALIGA players who wish to take the course.

The second method is through private academies spread across Spain. These academies are affiliated with the Ministry of Education, which can issue official coaching certifications. This step has resulted in Spain having a substantial stock of coaches.

"Fifteen years ago, there were only a few Spanish coaches working abroad. However, when the first coaches began to leave Spain to train overseas, various countries realized that the style, methodology, and philosophy of Spain could be very suitable in various football competitions," said Juan.

The development of young players and the increase in pathways to produce quality coaches have led Spain to become a respected football power in Europe and even the world.