Manolo González, Espanyol's top coach, went from driving a bus to sitting in the visitors' bench of one of Spain's biggest football clubs. The 46-year-old from Galicia, who was nicknamed Stoichkov for his short temper on the pitch, started coaching at just 16 and has been climbing the ranks ever since. González's journey took him through every age group and level of Spanish football, from regional leagues to the top flight, with over 10,000 nights spent training.
González's rise was not a straightforward one. He admits that he "knows" Atlètic Lleida's coach, Gabri García, because they've faced each other at their own level, but it wasn't until Espanyol approached him to manage the first team in 2020 that his career truly took off.
That moment was a turning point. González had just taken fourth-tier Peña Deportiva to successive playoffs and had been offered a lower salary than elsewhere in the division to join Espanyol's B team. The situation was desperate: miss promotion, and they would have been "screwed". Yet, González believed he could do it. And when the offer came, he took it.
González credits his sporting director for seeing something in him that others didn't. There's a lot of talent in lower divisions, but players and coaches are often labelled as not being good enough for the top flight. Public opinion says: "He doesn't know the league, he hasn't got the experience." But González was brave to risk it all.
When Espanyol were in the second division, and they'd sacked two coaches, Luis García and Luis Miguel Ramis, the situation was dire. The players could have easily thought: "Young coach, new in the first division, we can let him fall." But the opposite happened. González's team didn't lose, going up via the playoffs.
Three decades later, Espanyol are fifth in La Liga, with a renewed optimism about the place. New ownership has brought fresh resources, from unimaginable budgets to crowds of tens of thousands. The salary is also eye-watering - but González laughs when asked how it feels to see all those zeros for the first time.
González admits that there are parts of La Liga that aren't his natural place. He doesn't enjoy the exposure or the fact that people run with what he says. Yet, if he doesn't enjoy the press conferences - and they're 80-odd annually - then his audience does. González is a welcome arrival, someone to cut through the nonsense, earthy and charismatic.
Ultimately, it's not so different from his time in lower divisions. There's still a corner routine that works exactly the same way as ever. And, he says, with a grin, it still works.
When asked about nerves on matchdays, González admits they still get him. The pressure is immense - many people depend on you. Winning is a relief because of the pressure. But González tries to keep things in perspective: footballers are not socialites or faranduleros. They're there to win and compete.
In his experience, it's pure. Committed people who want to work and win. And that's what makes La Liga different - but thankfully, it's not.
González's rise was not a straightforward one. He admits that he "knows" Atlètic Lleida's coach, Gabri García, because they've faced each other at their own level, but it wasn't until Espanyol approached him to manage the first team in 2020 that his career truly took off.
That moment was a turning point. González had just taken fourth-tier Peña Deportiva to successive playoffs and had been offered a lower salary than elsewhere in the division to join Espanyol's B team. The situation was desperate: miss promotion, and they would have been "screwed". Yet, González believed he could do it. And when the offer came, he took it.
González credits his sporting director for seeing something in him that others didn't. There's a lot of talent in lower divisions, but players and coaches are often labelled as not being good enough for the top flight. Public opinion says: "He doesn't know the league, he hasn't got the experience." But González was brave to risk it all.
When Espanyol were in the second division, and they'd sacked two coaches, Luis García and Luis Miguel Ramis, the situation was dire. The players could have easily thought: "Young coach, new in the first division, we can let him fall." But the opposite happened. González's team didn't lose, going up via the playoffs.
Three decades later, Espanyol are fifth in La Liga, with a renewed optimism about the place. New ownership has brought fresh resources, from unimaginable budgets to crowds of tens of thousands. The salary is also eye-watering - but González laughs when asked how it feels to see all those zeros for the first time.
González admits that there are parts of La Liga that aren't his natural place. He doesn't enjoy the exposure or the fact that people run with what he says. Yet, if he doesn't enjoy the press conferences - and they're 80-odd annually - then his audience does. González is a welcome arrival, someone to cut through the nonsense, earthy and charismatic.
Ultimately, it's not so different from his time in lower divisions. There's still a corner routine that works exactly the same way as ever. And, he says, with a grin, it still works.
When asked about nerves on matchdays, González admits they still get him. The pressure is immense - many people depend on you. Winning is a relief because of the pressure. But González tries to keep things in perspective: footballers are not socialites or faranduleros. They're there to win and compete.
In his experience, it's pure. Committed people who want to work and win. And that's what makes La Liga different - but thankfully, it's not.
. He goes from driving a bus to coaching one of Spain's top clubs? That's like me going from playing bingo to hosting my own podcast - a total career changer! 
And what's crazy is he didn't get the big break until his mid-40s, when Espanyol approached him to manage their first team. I mean, can you imagine getting that kind of opportunity at 16? It's like being handed the keys to a Ferrari without even having taken driving lessons 
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. González might not have it all figured out yet, but he's definitely got the heart of a winner 
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he went from driving a bus 2 being one of the top coaches in Spain & his story is literally so inspiring! he was like 16 when he started coaching & came up through every level, even faced tough times with Atlètic Lleida's coach but he never gave up 
anyway, i'm kinda surprised he got hired at Espanyol after driving a bus 
did they really think he'd be good enough? 
and what's with all these coaches getting fired and then someone new comes in and does magic 
how does that happen? 
gotta love the fact that Manolo González went from driving a bus to sitting in the big boys' bench 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to trade in their daily commute for a life of high-stakes football? 
. I'm sure it was all worth it... said no one ever 
he went from driving a bus 2 coaching espnyol's top team & look how far he's come!! 
i love his honesty abt the pressure & the fact that he still gets nerves on matchdays is soo relatable 
I mean, can you believe this guy went from driving a bus to being the top dog at Espanyol? 
It's like he took a huge leap of faith and proved all the haters wrong... again. 
And let's be real, who wouldn't want to coach in La Liga after years of struggling in lower divisions? 
! The fact that he rose through the ranks, starting with lower divisions, shows that hard work and determination can take you anywhere 
! And I love how he still stays humble and down-to-earth despite all the glory 
! What I find really cool is how he's not afraid to cut through the noise and speak his mind 
. That's exactly what we need more of in football - someone who's not afraid to get a bit gritty 
! Anyway, I'm rooting for him all the way 
️!
. I bet he had his fair share of doubters, but he proved them all wrong. It's awesome that he credits his sporting director for seeing something in him that others didn't 
. I love how he laughs about the zeros on his salary – haha, nice one 
4th tier Peña Deportiva to Espanyol B team in 2020? That's crazy progress! 
(70% vs 40% win rate) 
And it shows! Espanyol are 5th in La Liga now 
... people doubted him and said he didn't know the league enough. But he proved them all wrong 
I mean, it's a big leap from coaching Peña Deportiva to the top flight... but at the same time... maybe that's exactly what he needed? 
. Like, I get it, but can't we all handle a little bit of stress? 