Juan Carlos Unzué

FCB de Navidad 2012 (6641546505)

Juan Carlos Unzué (born 22 April 1967) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and a current football manager. He is known for his time at clubs such as FC Barcelona, Sevilla FC, and CA Osasuna. After retiring as a player, Unzué transitioned into coaching, where he has held various positions, including assistant manager and head coach.

Playing Career[edit | edit source]

Unzué began his professional career with CA Osasuna in 1986. He quickly established himself as a reliable goalkeeper, which led to a transfer to FC Barcelona in 1988. During his time at Barcelona, Unzué was primarily a backup goalkeeper, but he was part of the squad that won several titles, including La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

In 1990, Unzué moved to Sevilla FC, where he became the first-choice goalkeeper and enjoyed a successful stint. He later played for Tenerife CF and Real Oviedo before returning to Osasuna, where he eventually retired in 2003.

Coaching Career[edit | edit source]

After retiring as a player, Unzué began his coaching career. He initially worked as a goalkeeping coach at FC Barcelona, where he was part of the coaching staff under managers such as Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. His expertise contributed to the development of goalkeepers like Víctor Valdés.

Unzué later took on the role of assistant manager at Celta de Vigo and Girona FC. In 2017, he was appointed as the head coach of Celta de Vigo. He has also managed other teams, including Numancia and Racing Santander.

Personal Life[edit | edit source]

In 2020, Unzué publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Since then, he has been an advocate for ALS awareness and research.