Miguel Grau Piles (born 22 April 1984) is a Spanish football manager. He managed Valencia Mestalla in the Segunda División B from 2017 to 2019 and was assistant manager at Pafos in the Cypriot First Division. In 2022, he managed Inter Turku of the Veikkausliiga, reaching the finals of the Finnish League Cup and Finnish Cup.
Career
editValencia
editBorn in Yátova in the Province of Valencia, Grau was managing Valencia's Juvenil A youth team when in November 2017, he was appointed manager of the reserve team in Segunda División B. He succeeded Lyuboslav Penev, who had left to contest the presidency of the Bulgarian Football Union.[1] Grau's debut on 18 November was a 3–0 home win over Lleida with all the goals scored in a six-minute spell.[2]
On 25 February 2019, Grau was sacked with his team in last place and five points inside the relegation zone. His final game was a 3–2 home defeat to Lleida.[3]
Pafos
editGrau told his agency Wasserman that he wanted to manage abroad, and he was appointed as an assistant manager at Pafos in the Cypriot First Division. He served under managers Dmytro Mykhaylenko and Stephen Constantine. Unlike many managers working abroad, Grau took his wife and infant daughter to Cyprus, citing the island's low crime rate and presence of the English language.[4]
Inter Turku
editIn November 2021, Grau signed for Inter Turku of the Finnish Veikkausliiga, succeeding compatriot José Riveiro on a two-year contract with the option of a third.[5] He reached the final of the Finnish League Cup, losing 3–1 on 19 March to Honka, as well as losing the Finnish Cup final 1–0 to KuPS on 17 September. He was sacked two days later, with his assistant Ramiro Muñoz overseeing the last five games of the league season with the team in 5th.[6]
Grau said that Finnish footballers were "methodical" and "mechanical" and needed the creativity of foreign players, which became more complicated due to points deductions for not fielding enough nationals in a team. He said that several players left in June at the halfway point in the season, and when they were preparing for a UEFA Conference League qualifier.[4]
References
edit- ^ Calero, T. (18 November 2017). "Miguel Grau, nuevo técnico del Mestalla tras la espantada de Penev" [Miguel Grau, new manager of Mestalla after Penev fled]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "Goleada del Mestalla en el debut de Grau en el banquillo" [Mestalla rout on Grau's debut on the bench]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). 18 November 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "Miguel Grau, destituido en el Valencia CF Mestalla" [Miguel Grau, dismissed from Valencia CF]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). 25 February 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b Folgado, Salva (28 March 2024). "Miguel Grau: "Tienes que entender la idiosincrasia y la historia de donde estás para intentar hacer las cosas con el máximo rigor y el máximo respeto"" [Miguel Grau: "You have to understand idiosyncrasy and history of where you are in order to do things with the highest rigour and highest respect"] (in Spanish). Plaza Deportiva. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ Pitkänen, Henri (6 November 2021). "FC Inter jatkaa espanjalaisvalmennuksessa – Miguel Grau ottaa komennon Turussa: "Identifioin itseni hyökkäävän jalkapallon ystäväksi"" [FC Inter continues in Spanish coaching – Miguel Grau takes command in Turku: "I identify myself as a lover of attacking football"] (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "Jalkapalloliigan Interin päävalmentaja pihalle – apuvalmentaja korvaa Miguel Graun" [The head coach of the football team Inter is out - the assistant coach replaces Miguel Grau]. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). 19 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
External links
edit- Miguel Grau manager profile at BDFutbol