Gregorio Manzano returns to Atlético de Madrid after seven years away
The manager from Jaen left the ‘rojiblancos’ at the doors of Europe in the 03-04 season
Gregorio Manzano returns to what was his home during the 03-04 season, a campaign marked by the death of then club president and major shareholder Don Jesús Gil y Gil. A season also remembered for not achieving the objective of a return to European competition, missing out on sixth place by goal difference and having to compete in the Intertoto Cup in order to secure the passage in to Europe.
Born on the 11th of March 1956 in Bailén (Jaén), Manzano is a manger who was never a player of real note, started out by combining teaching and managing his local team Santisteban del Puerto. He went on to work for a number of clubs in the province of Jaen before landing the top job at Talavera, in the Second B division of Spain. He left his mark on the different teams he managed over the years, more than ever at Toledo, playing in the Second A division in 98-99 season and the following term with Valladolid, where he managed in the top flight for the first time. He followed this up with spells at Racing de Santander, Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca. It was his work at Mallorca which cemented his reputation in the elite of Spanish football when he lead the club from the Balearic Islands to lift the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Kings Cup, in the 02-03 season.
The following campaign arrived and Manzano accepted the challenge of managing one of Spain biggest clubs, Atlético de Madrid, during the clubs centenary year. The Andalucian manager was quick to bring in a number of players including Lequi, Musampa, Nano, Nikolaidis, Paunovic, Rodrigo, Simeone, De los Santos, Ortiz and Pinola. The team was between fourth and sixth throughout the best part of the season before slipping in to seventh in the penultimate game, losing at home to Zaragoza. Despite winning away in San Mamés in the last match of the season, the team fell short of the objective of finishing in the European places.
After his period with Atlético, he returned to his native Andalucia to manage Malaga without much luck. In February 2006, after a year out of the game, he returned to Mallorca to rescue the ‘Bermellona’ side who were heading towards relegation. Manzano, secured the clubs La Liga status with one game to spare. He spent 3 more seasons on the island before moving to Seville at the beginning of last season, where he replaced Antonio Álvarez, again achieving the objective of securing Europa League football for another year for the Andalusian club.
He’s now been given the task of returning to a club he already knows, with the responsibility of guiding them through the 2 qualifying rounds of the Europa League, the competition in which Atlético were crowned champions in Hamburg on the 12th of May, 2010 against English side Fulham. The teacher, as he’s known in the football world, has an unfinished assignment with Atlético de Madrid. He comes full of confidence that he’ll pass this new experience with top marks.
Born on the 11th of March 1956 in Bailén (Jaén), Manzano is a manger who was never a player of real note, started out by combining teaching and managing his local team Santisteban del Puerto. He went on to work for a number of clubs in the province of Jaen before landing the top job at Talavera, in the Second B division of Spain. He left his mark on the different teams he managed over the years, more than ever at Toledo, playing in the Second A division in 98-99 season and the following term with Valladolid, where he managed in the top flight for the first time. He followed this up with spells at Racing de Santander, Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca. It was his work at Mallorca which cemented his reputation in the elite of Spanish football when he lead the club from the Balearic Islands to lift the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Kings Cup, in the 02-03 season.
The following campaign arrived and Manzano accepted the challenge of managing one of Spain biggest clubs, Atlético de Madrid, during the clubs centenary year. The Andalucian manager was quick to bring in a number of players including Lequi, Musampa, Nano, Nikolaidis, Paunovic, Rodrigo, Simeone, De los Santos, Ortiz and Pinola. The team was between fourth and sixth throughout the best part of the season before slipping in to seventh in the penultimate game, losing at home to Zaragoza. Despite winning away in San Mamés in the last match of the season, the team fell short of the objective of finishing in the European places.
After his period with Atlético, he returned to his native Andalucia to manage Malaga without much luck. In February 2006, after a year out of the game, he returned to Mallorca to rescue the ‘Bermellona’ side who were heading towards relegation. Manzano, secured the clubs La Liga status with one game to spare. He spent 3 more seasons on the island before moving to Seville at the beginning of last season, where he replaced Antonio Álvarez, again achieving the objective of securing Europa League football for another year for the Andalusian club.
He’s now been given the task of returning to a club he already knows, with the responsibility of guiding them through the 2 qualifying rounds of the Europa League, the competition in which Atlético were crowned champions in Hamburg on the 12th of May, 2010 against English side Fulham. The teacher, as he’s known in the football world, has an unfinished assignment with Atlético de Madrid. He comes full of confidence that he’ll pass this new experience with top marks.
