Latest news with #AdriánGonzález
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Adrián González Becomes New Head Coach Of The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit has announced that Assistant Coach Adrián González will become the new head coach of the club, effective on July 18. Jonathan Giráldez led the club as the head coach for 11 months and will transition to become the Head Coach of OL Lyonnes. Michele Kang is the majority owner of both the Spirit and OL Lyonnes, which recently received a rebranded name from Kang. 'I am excited and honored to become the Head Coach of the Spirit,' said González. 'Our focus remains on continuing to deliver performances that make our fans proud. I want to thank Jona for his leadership and friendship over the years, and I look forward to continuing to build upon the foundation we have established together.' Last season, the Spirit appointed González as the Interim Head Coach and led the team with a 10-4-1 record as they waited for the arrival of Giráldez, who led the club for 11 months with González by his side. 'It has been a privilege to lead this incredible group of players, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Spirit family,' said Giráldez. 'I am especially proud to see Adrián step into this role. He's not only a highly skilled coach but also someone who truly embodies the Spirit's vision and values. I have full confidence he will thrive and continue driving the team forward.' González was the Head Coach of RCD Espanyol Femení in Spain and the performance of his team allowed them to promote to Liga F. 'Adrián has proven that he is ready for this role,' said Kang. 'He knows the team and has earned this organization's trust through his hard work and dedication. I am looking forward to watching what this team can achieve this season and beyond under his leadership.' The Spirit started off the 2025 NWSL regular season with a strong start as they won the NWSL Challenge Cup in penalty kicks to earn their second Challenge Cup title since 2021. Following the international break, the Spirit are currently ranked No. 4 in the NWSL standings with a 6-3-1 (wins, losses, ties) record. Giráldez's final game with the team will be on June 22 as the Spirit face San Diego Wave FC on Sunday, June 22. In their next three games, two of their opponents are also currently ranked in the top five spots of the NWSL standings. The Spirit will host the North Carolina Courage on Sunday, June 8, which will mark Giráldez's final home game.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spirit coach Jonatan Giráldez reportedly taking OL Lyonnes job, moving between Michele Kang-owned teams
Less than a year after taking over as head coach of the Washington Spirit, Jonatan Giráldez is already moving on. Giráldez will be leaving the Spirit to join OL Lyonnes as the French club's new head coach, per multiple reports, moving between two teams owned by billionaire investor Michele Kang. The 33-year-old coach will reportedly depart Washington at the end of June, per The Athletic — just one year after arriving. Giráldez will leave the Spirit without having completed a full NWSL season. Advertisement Assitant coach Adrián González will take over as head coach, per The Athletic. At the time of the first report about Giráldez's move, which ESPN reported last week, Lyon did not have a head coach vacancy. However, that changed this weekend: The club announced Sunday that Joe Montemurro will be leaving the club after a year as head coach. Montemurro has been linked to a coaching position with the Australian women's national team, who has been without a permanent head coach since last summer. But the move, passing Giráldez between two teams owned by Kang, sets a worrying precedent. Kang has said in the past that she doesn't plan to move players between teams, telling ESPN that she is "not going to rob the best players from one team and give them to another team." But that resolution seemingly doesn't extend to the coaching staff. The Spirit is one of the strongest teams in the unpredictable NWSL; the team currently sits in fourth with a 6-1-3 record, while dealing with a slew of injuries, including to star forward Trinity Rodman. Meanwhile, OL Lyonnes is one of the most successful women's soccer teams in the world, and has dominated the French Première Ligue for nearly two decades. Advertisement In addition to Washington and Lyon, Kang also owns the London City Lionesses, which was recently promoted to the first-tier Women's Super League after winning England's second-tier league. Kang also told ESPN that plans to add a fourth club to her portfolio in the near future. Prior to joining the Spirit, Giráldez was head coach of Barcelona Femení, leading the club to three Liga F titles and two UEFA titles in three years at the helm. He joined Washington five months after he was announced as the club's new head coach, joining the team last June after finishing the season with Barcelona. Advertisement During that five-month period, González served as interim head coach, guiding the Spirit to a 10-4-1 record at the start of the season. After leading the team through the first half of the season without Giráldez, González will now do the same with the latter half. Washington's final game before the July international break takes place on June 22; by the time the NWSL starts up again in August, the Spirit will have to reset with González at the helm.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Washington Spirit to lose coach to French club, will promote assistant
Jonatan Giráldez, who coached the Washington Spirit to the 2024 NWSL championship game, will leave this month for French power OL Lyonnes and be replaced on a permanent basis by assistant Adrián González, people familiar with the situation said Saturday. Giráldez, a Spaniard who arrived in Washington last summer after guiding FC Barcelona to the Champions League title, is expected to depart before or during the NWSL's six-week break, which begins after the June 21-22 matches.
