The Washington Spirit has confirmed the appointment of Barcelona Femeni manager Jonatan Giraldez as its new head coach.
Giraldez informed the Spanish club last month of his decision to leave at the end of the current season.
The Athletic reported that the 32-year-old had received a bigger offer from the NWSL and the Spirit confirmed his impending arrival on Tuesday, saying he brought a “proven track record of winning at every level of the women’s game.
Owner Michele Kang said of Giraldez, who will replace Mark Parsons: “We conducted an extensive global, data-driven search and found that Jona is the best choice to lead our players.
“His commitment to excellence and high-performance is second to none and the results speak for themselves including consecutive La Liga and Supercopa titles and multiple top coach honors. We are grateful for his decision to join us. He will help take the Spirit to the next leveI for both players and fans.”
Spirit president of soccer operations Mark Krikorian said: “Jona knows how to develop players into champions. He will bring a beautiful style of play to the Spirit that we know our fans will enjoy.”
Giraldez — one of three nominees for FIFA’s Best Coach award in women’s football — led Barcelona to the second Champions League title…
