Rafael "Rafa" Gil Sánchez (born 11 October 1975) is a Spanish football

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

, currently in charge of Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim II FC.

Manager career

Born in

Tolox Tolox is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality has a population of 2,317 (2006). It is situated in the centre of the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park at ...

Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

, Gil began his managerial career at local

CD Alhaurino Club Deportivo Alhaurino is a Spanish football team based in Alhaurín el Grande, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1908 it plays in Tercera División, holding home matches at ''Estadio Miguel Fijones'', with a capacity of 1,500 ...

Tercera División Tercera División ( en, Third Division) was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segunda División'', and the semi-professional ''Segunda Di ...

, being appointed in January 2007. On 18 June of the following year he was named manager of fellow league team

Atlético Malagueño Club Atlético Malagueño, shortened to Atlético Malagueño, () is a Spanish football team based in Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1990, it is the reserve team of Málaga CF, and currently plays in Tercera Fede ...

. On 8 May 2009 Gil renewed his contract for a further year, after being in the promotion places. He missed out promotion in the play-offs, and signed a new two-year deal on 28 May of the following year. On 2 November 2010 Gil was appointed at the helm of

the first team The First Team were the first players known to have played the sport of basketball, having been taught the game in 1891 by James Naismith, who is recognized as the inventor of the sport. The team comprised 18 players who were studying in Springf ...

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...

, after

Jesualdo Ferreira Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira (born 24 May 1946) is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. In a managerial career of over forty years, he was in charge of all of his country's Big Three ...

's dismissal. His first professional game in charge occurred five days later, a 0–1 away loss against

RCD Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as Espanyol, is a professional sports club based in Barcelona, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish football league sy ...

. Gil subsequently returned to Málaga's B-side, after the appointment of

Manuel Pellegrini Manuel Lúis Pellegrini Ripamonti (; ; born 16 September 1953) is a Chilean professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Real Betis. As a coach, he has managed teams in Spain, England, Argentina, Chile, China and Ecuador. ...

as first team manager. On 4 July 2011 he rescinded his contract at mutual consent, after again falling short in the play-offs. In July 2011 Gil was named manager of

Unión Estepona CF Unión Estepona Club de Fútbol was a Spanish football team based in Estepona, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1995 it currently plays in Tercera División – Group 9, holding home matches at ''Estadio Francisco Muñoz Pére ...

in the fourth tier. He left the club in April of the following year, taking charge of Saudi Arabia under-17s. In 2013, Gil was appointed as compatriot

Juan Ramón López Caro Juan Ramón López Caro (; born 23 March 1963) is a Spanish Association football, football Manager (association football), manager. He managed Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid and Levante UD, Levante in La Liga, as well as RC Celta de Vigo, Celta and ...

's assistant in the full squad, leaving his role in 2015. In 2016, he took up a coaching programme in China. Gil was appointed at

Johor Darul Ta'zim II F.C. Johor Darul Ta'zim Football Club II (; ms, Kelab Bolasepak Johor Darul Ta'zim II) or simply JDT II is a Malaysian football club based in Johor Bahru, Johor. The club currently plays in the Malaysia Premier League, the second division professi ...

of Malaysia in November 2019.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gil, Rafa 1975 births Living people Sportspeople from the Province of Málaga Spanish football managers La Liga managers Málaga CF managers Spanish expatriate football managers Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Malaysia Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia Expatriate football managers in Malaysia