MADRID, May 25 — The 2025-26 La Liga season ended Saturday night, but while many players can begin their summer holidays, club presidents and sporting directors across Spain still have plenty of work to do.
The end of every season brings coaching changes, as contracts expire, managers decide to move on and clubs look for a new direction.
This summer is no different, with around half of La Liga’s clubs still needing to confirm who will be in charge next season. Real Madrid is the biggest club without a head coach after Alvaro Arbeloa announced his widely expected departure Friday.
Jose Mourinho appears to be lined up as Arbeloa’s replacement, but Florentino Perez’s challenge in the club presidential election could delay confirmation.
Perez’s rival, Enrique Riquelme, has yet to say who he would appoint as coach if elected. Villarreal is also searching for a new coach despite finishing third after an excellent season under Marcelino Garcia Toral.
Marcelino announced a month ago that he would leave the club, which ended its campaign by thrashing Atletico Madrid 5-1 on Sunday.
Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez is expected to replace Marcelino, though any announcement is likely to wait until after this week’s UEFA Conference League final.
Perez has already said he will leave Rayo, leaving the Madrid-based club with its own vacancy. Getafe is also looking for a coach, with Jose Bordalas expected to leave despite being offered a new contract.
Bordalas’ football is rarely pretty, but his results mean he is unlikely to be short of offers in Spain or abroad. Bordalas has been linked with Sevilla, where Luis Garcia Plaza kept the club in La Liga after taking charge late in the season.
Garcia Plaza has a contract until 2027, but the takeover of the club by a consortium led by Sergio Ramos could lead to a change of plans. If he does leave, Garcia Plaza should also attract interest elsewhere.
Espanyol coach Manolo Garcia is under pressure despite having a contract until 2027 and keeping the club in the top flight.
An 18-game winless run and the arrival of Monchi as sporting director could bring his spell at the club to an end. The three relegated clubs, Girona, Oviedo and Mallorca, will all have new coaches as they try to return from the second division next season.
Girona’s Michel Sanchez has been linked with Ajax. Osasuna will also discuss Alessio Lisci’s future this week. A month ago, Lisci appeared to have done an excellent job, with Osasuna pushing for Europe.
Four straight defeats left the Pamplona club needing other results to go its way to survive, and that collapse could change the club’s plans.
Athletic Club is already settled for next season. Ernesto Valverde ended his 10-year association across three spells, and 505 games in charge, on Saturday.
Former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic has already been confirmed as his replacement on a contract until June 2028. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
