Pako Ayestarán

Francisco Martín "Pako" Ayestarán Barandiarán (born 5 February 1963) is a Spanish football manager and coach who is the assistant head coach at Premier League club Aston Villa.

He spent 11 years as assistant to Rafael Benítez at clubs including Valencia and Liverpool. He has subsequently worked in Mexico, Israel, Portugal, and at Valencia and Las Palmas in La Liga.

Career

Ayestarán was born in Beasain, Gipuzkoa, and had a short stint as a youth player at Real Sociedad. After starting his career as a fitness coach, he was appointed Rafael Benítez's assistant at Osasuna, and remained behind the manager at Extremadura, Tenerife, Valencia and Liverpool.

Valencia

In 2001, Ayestarán followed Rafael Benítez to Valencia, joining as assistant manager. During a highly successful spell, the club won two La Liga titles (2001–02 and 2003–04) and the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.

Liverpool

In 2004, he moved to Liverpool as assistant manager. There, Ayestarán modernized the team’s fitness regime, introducing data-driven methods, individualized recovery programs, and the now-famous “Pako Hills” training slopes at Melwood. His influence was widely acknowledged within the squad: Steven Gerrard remarked “Pako ran the show,” crediting him as one of the best coaches he had worked with. He contributed to a period of major success, including victories in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, 2005 UEFA Super Cup, 2005–06 FA Cup, 2006 FA Community Shield, and a runner-up finish in the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League.

On 1 September 2007, Ayestarán announced his departure from ''the Reds'' after 11 years partnering Benítez. Benítez accused Ayestarán of "betrayal" as Ayestarán "contacted other clubs behind his back" while Ayestarán rejected the accusations, claiming instead that Benítez "forgot his principles". Following his departure, Ayestarán was approached by several top clubs.

During the summer of 2007, FC Barcelona expressed interest in adding him to their technical staff, though Liverpool initially blocked the move. He was also invited by Avram Grant to join his coaching staff at Chelsea, but Ayestarán declined the offer.

Real Sociedad

After leaving Liverpool, Ayestarán was briefly appointed sporting director of Real Sociedad in January 2008, but resigned after a few weeks due to conflict with club president Iñaki Badiola.

Benfica & return to Valencia

In the 2008–09 season, he served as fitness coach under Quique Sánchez Flores at Benfica in Portugal, where the club won the Taça da Liga. He returned to Valencia for the 2009–10 season as fitness coach under Unai Emery. Ayestarán left the club in June 2010, stating that he wanted to pursue other professional opportunities.

Al-Ahli Dubai

After a year out, he joined Sánchez Flores again for the 2011–12 season at Al-Ahli Dubai, where they won the UAE League Cup.

Estudiantes Tecos

On 24 August 2013, Ayestarán took his first head coaching role at Estudiantes Tecos in Mexico. In May 2014, Tecos won the Clausura 2014 title under his management, defeating Correcaminos UAT on penalties. They went on to lose the promotion play-off to Leones Negros, and the franchise was later relocated to Zacatecas. Ayestarán chose not to continue with the team, stating he had no intention of remaining in the second division.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Ayestarán was appointed Maccabi Tel Aviv manager on 26 August 2014, replacing fellow Spaniard Óscar García, who had resigned days before a UEFA Europa League qualifier due to the war in Gaza. During the 2014–15 season, Ayestarán led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a historic domestic treble—winning the Israeli Premier League, the Israel State Cup, and the Toto Cup after defeating Maccabi Haifa 2–1 in the final—becoming the first manager in Israeli football history to win all three major domestic trophies in a single season. Despite the success, he resigned from the club on 20 August 2015. He was later linked with a return to Liverpool as assistant to Brendan Rodgers, but Ayestarán made clear he intended to continue as a head coach.

Santos Laguna

On 19 August 2015, Ayestarán returned to Mexico, being appointed at the helm of Santos Laguna in Liga MX, replacing Portuguese coach Pedro Caixinha, who had resigned days earlier. Under his leadership, the team played 14 official matches across domestic and international competitions, including the CONCACAF Champions League, achieving 5 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses, with 24 goals scored and 17 conceded, for an average of 1.36 points per match. Notable results included 0–3 away victories against Chivas and Veracruz, as well as a 6–1 home win over Deportivo Saprissa in continental competition. On 21 November 2015, it was announced that Ayestarán would not continue with the club for the Clausura 2016 tournament.

Return to Valencia (2016)

On 14 February 2016, Ayestarán returned to Valencia CF for a third spell, though for the first time not as a fitness coach but as a member of Gary Neville's coaching staff. His arrival marked a key addition to the backroom team, which also included Miguel Ángel Angulo and Phil Neville.

On 31 March 2016, following Neville’s dismissal, Ayestarán was appointed head coach for the remainder of the 2015–16 La Liga season. He began his tenure with a defeat to UD Las Palmas, but quickly turned things around by securing three consecutive league victories over Sevilla, Barcelona, and Eibar. The 2–1 win at the Camp Nou was especially celebrated, as Valencia became one of only two teams to defeat FC Barcelona at home in La Liga that season; helping secure the club's top-flight survival and restoring some optimism among fans.

Impressed by the late-season recovery, the club confirmed Ayestarán’s appointment as full-time manager on 24 May 2016, with a contract running until 30 June 2018. However, after a poor start to the 2016–17 campaign — with four league defeats, he was relieved of his duties on 20 September 2016.

Las Palmas

Ayestarán replaced Manolo Márquez as the new Las Palmas manager on 27 September 2017. Taking over a struggling side early in the season, he managed seven league matches, recording one draw and six defeats, before being dismissed on 30 November 2017.

Pachuca

On 29 May 2018, Ayestarán returned to Mexico's top flight as manager of Pachuca in Liga MX. During his time in charge, he led the team in 28 official matches, recording 13 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses, with 55 goals scored and 42 conceded. Pachuca reached the semi-finals of the Copa MX Apertura 2018 and produced notable performances, including a 6–2 win over Club Necaxa and a 3–0 victory against Querétaro. Ayestarán’s side showed attacking intent and consistency across much of the campaign, averaging 1.64 points per match. He left the club on 20 January 2019 following a poor start to the Clausura tournament, which included a 3–0 loss to Club América at the Estadio Azteca.

Tondela

On 10 August 2020, Ayestarán was appointed head coach of Portuguese Primeira Liga side Tondela, replacing fellow Basque Natxo González. In his first season, he led the club to its best-ever finish in the Primeira Liga, securing 12th place and comfortably avoiding relegation. The following year, he guided Tondela to a historic run in the Taça de Portugal, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in the club's history. In the first leg, they earned a commanding 3–0 home victory over Mafra, setting the stage for a place in the final. Despite the strong cup performance and stable league standing, Ayestarán departed the club on 16 March 2022, shortly before Tondela confirmed their place in the final with a 4–1 aggregate win.

Aston Villa

On 4 November 2022, Ayestarán was announced as assistant head coach to Unai Emery at Aston Villa. Since his arrival, Ayestarán has played a fundamental role in the club’s notable transformation in the Premier League, bringing his experience and tactical insight to Emery’s project.

During the 2022–23 season, he helped guide Aston Villa to a seventh-place finish, earning qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League. In the following campaign, the club reached the semi-finals of the competition, defeating Lille on penalties in the quarter-finals. They also finished fourth in the league, securing a place in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1982–83 season.

In 2024–25, Villa reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they were narrowly eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain with a 5–4 aggregate score. The team also advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they were defeated by Crystal Palace at Wembley. They finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.

Honours

Liverpool
* UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
* UEFA Champions League: 2006–07: Runner-Up
* UEFA Super Cup: 2005
* FA Cup: 2005–06
* FA Community Shield: 2006

Valencia
* La Liga: 2003–04https://plazadeportiva.valenciaplaza.com/la-sombra-del-doblete
* La Liga: 2001–02
* UEFA Cup: 2003–04

Benfica
* Taça da Liga: 2008–09

;Maccabi Tel Aviv
* Israeli Premier League: 2014–15https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/32826926
* Israel State Cup: 2014–15
* Toto Cup: 2014–15

;Tecos
* Ascenso MX: 2014 Clausura

Tondela
* Taça da Liga: 2021–22: Runner-Up https://as.com/futbol/2022/04/20/internacional/1650490299_497866.html

Al Ahli
*UAE League Cup: 2011–12

References

External links

Liga MX profile

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayestaran, Pako
1963 births
Living people
People from Beasain
Spanish football managers
Liverpool F.C. non-playing staff
Tecos F.C. managers
Santos Laguna managers
Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. managers
Valencia CF managers
UD Las Palmas managers
C.D. Tondela managers
La Liga managers
Israeli Premier League managers
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Israel
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Spanish expatriate football managers
Expatriate football managers in Mexico
Expatriate football managers in Israel
Expatriate football managers in Portugal
Sportspeople from Gipuzkoa
Aston Villa F.C. non-playing staff
Spanish football coaches
Valencia CF non-playing staff
CA Osasuna non-playing staff