Jagoba Arrasate Biography

Spanish football manager (born 1978)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Arrasate and the second or maternal family name is Elustondo.

Jagoba Arrasate Elustondo (born 22 April 1978) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a forward, currently manager of CA Osasuna.

After an amateur playing career, he rose through the coaching ranks of Real Sociedad where he made his La Liga debut in 2013, also leading Osasuna in the top flight and taking the latter club to the Segunda División *le in 2019.

Playing career

Born in Berriatua, Biscay, Arrasate only played for lower league clubs during his ten-year senior career, the majority in the Tercera División and all in his native Basque Country. In the Segunda División B he represented SD Eibar B and Club Portugalete, being relegated with the latter team at the end of the 2005–06 campaign.

Arrasate retired in 2007 at only 29, after one season in the fourth tier with SD Amorebieta.

Coaching career

Real Sociedad

Arrasate became a coach immediately after retiring, his first two clubs being amateur. In 2010, he returned to Real Sociedad where he had been groomed, being appointed coach of the youth teams.

In July 2012, Arrasate was promoted to Real's first team as *istant to Philippe Montanier. The following year, as the Frenchman left for Stade Rennais FC, he was named his successor. He debuted in La Liga on 17 August with a 2–0 home win against Getafe CF, and led the team in their campaign in the UEFA Champions League, in which they defeated Olympique Lyonnais to qualify for the group stage for the first time in a decade, but finished bottom of the section.

In April 2014, after having taken Real to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey where they lost 3–1 on aggregate to FC Barcelona, Arrasate had his contract renewed until 2016. He was sacked on 2 November after a 3–1 loss to FC Krasnodar in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League, followed by one win from ten at the start of the league season.

Numancia

Arrasate was appointed at the helm of CD Numancia on 12 June 2015, replacing Juan Antonio Anquela. On his debut on 23 August, the team won 6–3 at home to CD Tenerife on the first day of the second-division season; towards the end of a 10th-place finish he was rewarded with one more season in the job.

In June 2017, despite finishing 17th – then the joint worst in Numancia's Segunda history – Arrasate received another extension at the Nuevo Estadio Los Pajaritos. In the ensuing season he led the Sorians to the finals of the play-offs, but missed out promotion after a 4–1 aggregate loss to Real Valladolid; he stepped down on 18 June 2018.

Osasuna

On 20 June 2018, Arrasate was named CA Osasuna manager after agreeing to a one-year contract. He renewed his contract until 2020 the following 5 March, and achieved promotion to La Liga as champions.

Arrasate signed another new deal on 18 November 2019, tying him to the Rojillos until June 2022. Six days later the team lost 2–1 at home to local rivals Athletic Bilbao, ending a club-best 602 days unbeaten at the El Sadar Stadium.

On 7 March 2022, Arrasate's contract was extended for two more years, with the news being broken through a banner on the Avenida Carlos III in Pamplona. In the ensuing season, he led Osasuna to the Spanish Cup final for the first time in 18 years after a 2–1 extra-time win at home to Sevilla FC in the quarter-finals and a 2–1 aggregate defeat of Athletic in the next round; they lost the decisive match 2–1 to Real Madrid. In the domestic league, a seventh-place finish meant qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League in a return to Europe for the first time in 16 years.

Personal life

On 12 August 2020, Arrasate tested positive for COVID-19. As of 2023, he had three children.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 5 May 2024

Honours

Manager

Osasuna

  • Segunda División: 2018–19
  • Copa del Rey runner-up: 2022–23

Individual

  • La Liga Manager of the Month: December 2013

References

    External links

    • Jagoba Arrasate at BDFutbol
    • Jagoba Arrasate manager profile at BDFutbol