Former Atletico Madrid icon Gabi Fernandez, captain of their title-winning side in 2014, is close to making the jump into senior football management.
Gabi was one of Diego Simeone’s most loyal lieutenants during the past 12 years at Atletico Madrid, and is gradually taking his first steps into coaching. The ex-Real Zaragoza midfielder started doing so in the Atletico academy, working as an assistant to Fernando Torres in the under-19 side and then with the B side under Luis Garcia Tevenet.
🎙️| Q&A with Diego Simeone:
“Best moment? La Liga title in 2014.
Worst? Last season, in the first half.
A player I would have liked to coach? Messi, Ronaldo.
New shield or old shield? The old one.”@ellarguero pic.twitter.com/xPXuT5T9ky— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) November 14, 2023
More recently he took on a role leading Getafe’s Juvenil B (under-19 side), and after Emilio Ferreras was dismissed as coach of the Getafe B side in the third tier, Diario AS claim that Gabi will make the step up. He was reportedly close to doing so last year, but had not yet obtained his full coaching licence, which should no longer be a problem.
Gabi is the latest of a generation from the glorious 2010s of Spanish football to make the switch into coaching, following Xavi Hernandez, Raul Gonzalez, Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa onto the bench.
