Rodrigo Hernando González (born 16 January 1982)[1] is a Spanish football manager, currently in charge of Izarra. He managed only in the lower divisions of his country, while also serving as head coach of Ulaanbaatar City of the Mongolian Premier League in 2016 and having spells as an assistant in the top divisions of Portugal, Finland and Iran.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rodrigo Hernando González | ||
| Date of birth | 16 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Burgos, Spain | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Izarra (manager) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2009–2013 | Málaga (youth) | ||
| 2016 | Ulaanbaatar City | ||
| 2016–2017 | Estoril (assistant) | ||
| 2017 | SJK (assistant) | ||
| 2017–2018 | Peña Sport | ||
| 2018–2019 | Izarra | ||
| 2021–2022 | Racing Rioja | ||
| 2022 | Naft Masjed Soleyman (assistant) | ||
| 2023 | Izarra | ||
| 2024– | Izarra | ||
Early life and education
editHernando was born in Burgos, Castile and León and raised in Málaga in Andalusia.[2] Though his family were not interested in football and he did not play the game, he wanted to be a manager from the age of 6.[3] He qualified as a physical education teacher, graduated with a master's degree from the Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (Polytechnic University of Madrid) and holds a UEFA Pro Licence.[3]
As of 2023, Hernando was living in Azagra, Navarre, with his wife and two young children.[4]
Career
editEarly career and Mongolia
editFrom 2009 to 2013, Hernando was a coach in local Málaga CF's youth academy, in the early years of Sheikh Al-Thani's ownership of the club.[2] He then moved to Dubai to work in the football school set up by former Real Madrid player Michel Salgado.[3] In 2016, he became the first manager of Ulaanbaatar City FC in the Mongolian Premier League; he was the first Spanish manager in the country. The club's owner Dashnyam Ganzorig was a fan of Real Madrid and demanded a manager of that nationality, who was found through a Spanish agency specialising in East Asia.[1]
Assistant jobs and return to Spain
editIn December 2016, Hernando returned to the Iberian Peninsula as assistant manager to compatriot Pedro Gómez Carmona at G.D. Estoril-Praia in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.[5] The pair and another Spanish assistant were sacked in March 2017.[6] After several weeks as an assistant with Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho in the Finnish Veikkausliiga he was given his first head coach job in Spain in October 2017, at Peña Sport FC. The Segunda División B club had lost all 11 of their games that season before his appointment, while he took 11 points from his first possible 15;[7] the campaign ended in relegation.
In 2018–19, Hernando managed CD Izarra in the same division. He was sacked in March with the team at risk of relegation and having won twice in 14 home games.[8] In the new fourth-tier Segunda Federación, he led Racing Rioja CF until being fired in January 2022 while in third place; his team were unbeaten until the previous November.[9]
Iran
editHernando went back to Asia and assistant managership in 2022, at Naft Masjed Soleyman F.C. in the Persian Gulf Pro League. In December, new owners appointed new coaching staff, and Hernando reached an agreement for his contract to be terminated as he shared no common language with his new colleagues. He owed taxes for his employment but had never been officially registered to pay taxes, due to being dismissed during his visa application. From 21 December until 9 January 2023 he was unable to leave the country. His service in Iran coincided with the Mahsa Amini protests; Hernando, who was living alone, took advice to avoid demonstrations and concentrate on football.[4][2]
Return to Izarra
editIn March 2023, Hernando returned to Izarra in the Segunda Federación, replacing the sacked Álex Huerta.[10] Three months later, having steered the club from relegation, he decided against remaining there.[11]
Hernando's third spell at Izarra began in March 2024, as the third manager of a season that had seen the club place three points above the relegation play-off.[12] They eventually had to take part in that play-off, retaining their place in the league by beating SD Formentera 1–0 both home and away.[13] His contract was then renewed for another year.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Castilla, Alonso (17 July 2016). "Cuando Mongolia es el paraíso para cumplir el sueño de ser entrenador" [When Mongoila is the paradise to complete the dream of being a manager]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Olías, José Manuel (4 January 2023). "Rodrigo Hernando, un entrenador malagueño atrapado en Irán" [Rodrigo Hernando, a manager from Málaga trapped in Iran] (in Spanish). Málaga Hoy. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c "Objetivo Mongolia" [Objective Mongolia]. Panenka (in Spanish). 22 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b "«Estuve a punto de besar el suelo al aterrizar en Madrid»" ["I was about to kiss the ground when I landed in Madrid"]. Diario de Burgos (in Spanish). 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Estoril dá as boas-vindas a Pedro Gomez Carmona" [Estoril welcome Pedro Gómez Carmona]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 15 December 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "El Estoril despide al entrenador español Gómez Carmona" [Estoril dismiss Spanish manager Gómez Carmona]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 March 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Mainez, Rafa (12 December 2017). "Rodrigo Hernando, el hombre que ha resucitado a la Peña Sport" [Rodrigo Hernando, the man who has resucitated Peña Sport]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Pastor, J. A.; Velasco, G. (12 March 2019). "El Izarra destituye a su entrenador Rodrigo Hernando" [Izarra dismiss their manager Rodrigo Hernando] (in Spanish). Navarra Televisión. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Hermosilla Garrido, Marta (14 January 2022). "El Racing Rioja destituye a Rodrigo Hernando" [Racing Rioja dismiss Rodrigo Hernando]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Castillo, Irache; Pérez, Fran (14 March 2023). "Rodrigo Hernando vuelve al Izarra" [Rodrigo Hernando returns to Izarra]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Rodrigo Hernando no continuará en el Izarra como entrenador la próxima temporada" [Rodrigo Hernando will not continue at Izarra as manager next season] (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Rodrigo Hernando sustituye a Iñigo De Goñi como entrenador del Izarra" (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Castillo, Irache (19 May 2024). "Izarra 1 - 0 Formentera: El Izarra no deja pasar la ocasión" [Izarra 1 - 0 Formentera: Izarra don't waste the opportunity]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Márquez, Pablo (10 June 2024). "El CD Izarra hace oficial la continuidad de su entrenador tras lograr la salvación" [CD Izarra confirm the continuation of their manager after achieving survival] (in Spanish). Gols Media. Retrieved 18 August 2024.