Jagoba Arrasate using experience as a teacher to take Osasuna into European race

Osasuna are up to ninth in the table, but are very much part of the group of sides gathering in the European race. Just six points off the Champions League spots and three away from fifth, Jagoba Arrasate is making a habit out of getting the best from Los Rojillo, finishing 11th, 10th and 11th in the past three seasons.

Arrasate won promotion with Osasuna, coming under serious pressure in his first season as they were glued to the bottom of the table. The club and Sporting Director Braulio backed Arrasate to come through it though and are reaping the rewards.

Previously at Real Sociedad, Arrasate did not look as if he was on the patch to professional management. Retiring from lower league football in his late twenties, Arrasate becaem a teacher. Splitting time between teaching and coaching, eventually he had to leave it devote all of his time.

In a recent interview with Relevo, Arrasate was asked if he uses his teaching experience in his management.

“Yes, for me pedagogy is a way of life. I have been a teacher for many years and I have a vocation for it, it is not something that I have abandoned. For years I combined it, until I arrived at Philippe Montanier’s coaching staff at Real Sociedad, where I had to focus only on football. When I was training in the third year, I combined both things, I did half a day at school and then I used all the time to prepare for training. Maybe one day I’ll go back to teaching.”

Albert Blaya Sensat then used a Luis Enrique quote to ask whether the most important thing for a manager these days was conveying their message.

“Yes, for me this is the most important thing for a coach today. Everyone is capable of carrying out day-to-day activities, preparing training sessions and using a specific methodology, but I think we are becoming transmitters. And to transmit something you have to be super convinced because the player sizes you up right away. And every day we arrive in the morning, and there are 25 guys listening to you, who know if you are more up or more down, if you have more or less credit. They are super smart and they catch you right away. Precisely for that, Luis Enrique is one of the best transmitters out there. You listen to him and he convinces you.”

Being in a classroom, you automatically have a degree of authority from being the teacher. The same used to be assumed of management, but it was put to Arrasate whether that was still the case.

“Before you said something and the player listened to you because you were the coach, it was taken for granted without so much questioning. Today we have to convince the player, and for this you need to convey it well, and to do so you need to believe in what you say. First we have to work inside, to convince ourselves, to bring it to the rest later.”

Osasuna are also into the Copa del Rey semi-final against Athletic Club, and have an historic opportunity to win their first ever Spanish Cup. Their previous best finish was the final in 2005, when they were beaten by Real Betis.

Tags Jagoba Arrasate Luis Enrique Osasuna
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