Josep Gombau

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Gombau and the second or maternal family name is Balague.
Josep Gombau
Personal information
Full name Josep Gombau Balague
Date of birth (1976-06-05) June 5, 1976
Place of birth Amposta, Spain
Club information
Current team
 Australia U-23
Youth career
Years Team
0000–1992 Amposta
Teams managed
Years Team
1993–2003 Amposta
2003–2009 Barcelona (youth)
2009–2013 Kitchee
2013–2015 Adelaide United
2016– Australia U-23

Josep Gombau Balague (born 5 June 1976) is a Spanish football manager, who currently coaches Australia U-23. He was formerly in charge of A-League club Adelaide United.[1] He is a former FC Barcelona youth team coach and has held multiple positions at Barcelona academies.[2] Gombau holds the highest coaching license in Spain with the equivalent of the UEFA Pro Diploma attained at the Catalan Football Federation.[3]

Career

Born in Amposta, Tarragona, Catalonia, Gombau was a goalkeeper, but switched to coaching at the age of 16.[4][5] After coaching youth teams in CF Amposta and RCD Espanyol, he was signed by FC Barcelona in 2003 as a youth academy coach.[6][7] In 2008, he became the technical director of FCB Escola, a Barcelona youth football academy opened at the Raffles International School in Jumeirah, Dubai.[8][9]

Kitchee

Gombau moved to Hong Kong to join Kitchee as the club's head coach in 2009.[10] Under Gombau, Kitchee won two league titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup.[11] Before the 2012 AFC Cup away match to Tampines Rovers, Kitchee captain Chu Siu Kei applauded the contribution of Gombau to the team, saying: "The coach understands that the players might be smaller than those in the other teams, but using the ball more on the ground gives us an advantage over our opponents. We have more control of the game now".[12]

Adelaide United

On 30 April 2013, it was announced that Gombau would leave Kitchee to coach Adelaide United in the A-League. He signed a two-season deal, arriving at the club in July 2013.[3] His first two signings were compatriots and Barcelona youth products Sergio Cirio and Isaías Sánchez. Gombau also brought his long-time assistant coach Pau Marti to work alongside existing assistant coach Michael Valkanis.[13] Gombau stated that he wants to implement a possession-based football style at Adelaide.[14][15] Gombau actively exercised his ambition to develop South Australian grassroots football by hosting free seminars for local coaches.[16] Gombau's United won the inaugural FFA Cup with a 1–0 win against Perth Glory.[17] Gombau left the club in July 2015 to take up a youth coaching role in the United States.[18]

Australia U-23

Known as a developer of talent, on 28 June 2016, Gombau was appointed as head coach of Australia U-23 in place of Aurelio Vidmar, under whom the team failed to qualify for the Olympics.[19]

Honours

Club

Hong Kong Kitchee SC

Australia Adelaide United

Personal

Managerial statistics

As of 23 February 2015
Team Nat From To Record
GWDLWin %
Kitchee SC Hong Kong 2009 2013 93 57 18 18 61.29
Adelaide United Australia 2013 2015 62 30 12 20 48.39
Total 155 87 30 38 56.13

References

  1. ↑ "Amor to replace Gombau". Adelaide United Football Club. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Kin Cheung (27 May 2011). Kitchee's head coach Josep Gombau Balague, former coaching staff at the FC Barcelona soccer team, leaves after the first half of the Japan earthquake – photo. Eurosport.com (Photograph). Hong Kong. Associated Press. Kitchee's head coach Josep Gombau Balague, former coaching staff at the FC Barcelona soccer team, leaves after the first half of the Japan Earthquake Relief Charity match Spanish's soccer team Villarreal against Hong Kong's local team Kitchee in Hong Kong Friday, May 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
  3. 1 2 "Gombau to coach Adelaide United FC". Adelaide United Football Club. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  4. ↑ Kemp, Emma (9 October 2013). "Josep Gombau's tiki-taka touch wins Adelaide United over". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Gombau, Josep (13 August 2013). "Gombau chats to TWG". The World Game (Interview). Interview with Vitor Sobral. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Blanco, Jordi (24 October 2013). "Tiqui-taca en Australia". am14.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Migliaccio, Val (18 July 2013). "Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau vows to scout for SA's best talent". The Advertiser. Adelaide. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Alvares, Rohan (5 February 2009). "A touch of Barcelona magic in Dubai". Gulf News. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Brooks, Rob (7 May 2013). "Gombau bringing Barca Down Under". ESPN FC. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  10. ↑ 巴塞名帥來港發展 Oriental Daily. 21 April 2009.
  11. ↑ Chan Kin-wa (27 May 2013). "Play-off win perfect gift for departing Gombau". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong.
  12. ↑ Mehrotra, Abhishek (24 April 2012). "Stags, Kitchee expect open AFC Cup match". Fox Sports Asia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Adelaide United stars laud style new coach Josep Gombau's style, just don't call them Barcelona". news.com.au. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  14. ↑ Migliaccio, Val (4 May 2013). "New Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau promises to bring a little bit of Barcelona to the Reds". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  15. ↑ Earle, Richard (7 August 2013). "It's my way or the highway, new Reds coach Josep Gombau tells players". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Local coaches impressed with Gombau's vision". Adelaide United Football Club. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  17. ↑ Maasdorp, James (16 December 2014). "Adelaide United beats Perth Glory to win FFA Cup with 1–0 victory in inaugural final". ABC Grandstand Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  18. ↑ Hassett, Sebastian (24 July 2015). "Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau departs to begin academy in New York". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "Josep Gombau returns to Australia as new Olyroos coach". The Guardian. 28 June 2016.
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