26/06/2025
José Ignacio "Nacho" Fernández Garcia
Assistant coach, Spain national team women
(attached photos have three pages of the interview set out for the web site, also, with pictures. And the pictures are also attached here... so you have all versions of this interview!!
In the week approaching Nadeshiko Japan's friendly match in Spain Ladies I was fortunate enough to catch up with assistant coach of the Spanish team - "Nacho" Fernández - who has a Japanese connection, and was happy to talk about it!
JSoccer (JSoccer): Greetings from Japan, and thank you for your time... my first question would be that I notice you were already coaching - in the youth set-up at SD Llano 2000, in Spain - in the year 2000, when you were still in your mid-20s. How did you get into the coaching so early?
Nacho Fernández (NF): I started - as they say - in the basement - very early, when I had the chance to coach at Llano. When I first began I was coach and also Director of Football at times, learning as I went along. I then got an offer to coach at Mosconia in Spain's 3rd division (4th tier) while I was studying to gain more experience and qualifications. I took that offer and never looked back! I worked at various clubs and levels getting more and more experience - including a spell in Venezuela. Most recently I was at Getafe (for the second time).
JS: And somewhere in there - in 2019 - you ended up in Japan at FC Ryukyu. How did that come about?
NF: I was assistant manager at Valencia at the time, but very interested in Japan and my good friend Ricardo Rodriguez was there (at Urawa Reds, at that time, currently at Kashiwa Reysol). I studied with Ricardo and we actually got our degrees at the same time 25 years ago! I heard from him that FC Ryukyu were looking for a head coach (manager) and I accepted their offer - coming in there after seven successive defeats! I came in, during the Covid epidemic, which made things even harder. It was a very difficult situation, but we managed to start winning, but unfortunately we could not avoid relegation, although I'd like to note that if the league had started upon my arrival, then safety would have been reached, but sadly, Ryukyu were already too far gone by this time.
JS: How did you find Japan during your short stay?
NF: It was an amazing experience. I now have Japan in my heart. I was treated so well in all aspects of life. I especially remember after the final game of the season - after relegation was confirmed - I spent two hours talking to the fans, taking pictures and much more. A very emotional experience.
JS: Can I presume you'd be interested in returning to Japan if you had the chance.
Nacho 3
NF: Yes indeed, very interested! Someday, yes, it would be a pleasure to return. Japan is by far the best league in Asia and I have some great connections there. The Japanese players are at such a high level, such great talents, especially technically and when they return to Japan it's good to see them bring back what they learned from playing overseas. There are now so many Japanese players in the best leagues... it's great to see.
JS: What do you feel that a foreign coach can bring to Japan?
NF: I feel in particular that Spanish coaches are well-prepared, and you can see them all over the world, and with the discipline and hard work of Japanese players combined with the tactical knowledge of foreign coaches, we can improve their all-round play. We have this Spanish mentality to be well-prepared, a great culture of winning and this can only help Japanese players, too.
JS: And now, with the Spain Ladies national team. How did that come about?
NF: I was assistant manager at Getafe at the time and the head coach/manager of the Spain Women's team is a long-time friend and she approached me with an offer to join her staff. I was honoured - after being a "standard" coach, a sporting director, and various other positions in the football world, now I had the chance to be with a national team. It is a very different system and style than with a club team. It's not something that is happening on a daily basis but i very concentrated at certain times. I am enjoying it.
JS: Spain will play their final match before the European Championship against Japan. What are your plans or expectations for this game?
NF: I expect it to be a tough game for us, and very entertaining. The Japan team has many excellent players in the best leagues in the world - Spain, Italy, England and more. They have some very dynamic and technical players all over the field. They recently changed their manager and I feel that the new manager is changing the team to play the way he wants them to play. The team is progressing well. For us, it is a very important game, since the Euros are approaching, even if it is "only" a friendly.
JS: Can I presume that Spain will be at full strength and taking this game very seriously?
NF: Yes, certainly. Even though we have a tiring few weeks ahead of us, we hope for a good game here and then three excellent group games in the European Championships, and then, hopefully more games, of course, as we progress. So a tiring time is ahead, but the game against Japan will be taken very seriously.
JS: For those of us watching the game in Japan, who on the Spanish team should be look out for?
NF: Fortunately we have many good players... if I had to highlight any, perhaps a mention for (MF) Alexia Putellas (131 caps, 34 goals, plays at Barcelona), (MF) Aitana Bonmati (78 caps, 30 goals, Barcelona), and (FW) English WSL Player-of-the-Season 2025 Mariona Caldentey (88 caps, 29 goals, Arsenal)... but I am very fortunate as a coach to have a whole squad of very talented players to work with.
JS: The Japan squad has some different faces in it as the new manager Nils Nielson looks to try things and develop tactics... it might be an experimental Japanese side?
NF: I know that the new manager is working on his own strategies and there will be some experimentation, but no one will be called up for the national team unless they deserve it and we will not be making the mistake of underestimating the Japan side, even if there are changes and lesser-known players in the match. It is, of course, important to use these "friendly" games to try things and experiment, but no games are easy, whatever the other side does!
JS: I have had my eyes on one young player in particular recently and I notice that he was developed by you in the second team of Atlético de Madrid - Argentina's Giuliano Simeone - what can you say about him?
NF: I managed the B team of Atlético 2019 to 2021, before moving to Japan. They were in the 3rd division of the Spanish League (and almost made it to promotion, losing out only on penalty kicks in the play-off for promotion) and I am proud to have helped develop many young players, including Giuliano Simeone. I am very happy for him. He has worked very hard from day one at Atlético B, and I knew he would make it to the first team. I'm proud to have helped develop him, and many other players who are now playing in many different teams in the top two divisions in Spain, and elsewhere.
JS: Thank you, Nacho, for your time and we wish you the best in your game against Japan, and who knows, perhaps we will see you again in Japan sometime in the future!! In the game against Japan, when the camera comes close to you, please give JSoccer a wave!!
NF: Of course!! Thank you for your time, and let's keep in touch!!
Pictures courtesy of Nacho Fernández
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nachofcoach
https://www.nachofernandezcoach.com/
INTERVIEW for JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.com
