Asier Garitano

Asier Garitano Aguirrezábal (born 6 December 1969) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a forward.

During a 14-year senior career, he appeared in 134 matches in Segunda División over five seasons, totalling 23 goals for Bilbao Athletic and Eibar. He added 216 games and 61 goals in Segunda División B, in representation of several clubs.

Garitano started working as a manager in 2003, as an assistant at Alicante. He went on to be in charge of four teams before being appointed at Leganés in 2013, which he led to promotions to the second tier and La Liga. He was head coach at Real Sociedad and Alavés, also in the top flight.

Playing career
Born in Bergara, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Garitano was an Athletic Bilbao youth graduate. He made his senior debut with the reserves on 2 September 1989, starting and scoring the winner in a 2–1 away win against Racing de Santander in the Segunda División championship.

After four full seasons (one of them on loan at SD Eibar), Garitano left the Lions and signed for Cartagena FC in Segunda División B. In 1994, he moved to Cádiz CF also in the third division, and returned to Eibar in January 1996.

Garitano subsequently resumed his career in the third tier and Tercera División, representing CF Gavà, Racing de Ferrol, Burgos CF, Alicante CF and Benidorm CF. He retired in 2003 at the age of 33, mainly due to injuries.

Coaching career
Shortly after retiring, Garitano started working as an assistant at former club Alicante. In October 2008 he was named manager, replacing the fired José Carlos Granero. However, after only three matches, he was replaced by Nino Lema and moved to the backroom staff.

Garitano was appointed CD Castellón coach on 6 April 2010, after being previously working at the club as an assistant. He remained in charge until the end of the season, suffering relegation as last.

On 7 July 2011, Garitano signed with third division side Orihuela CF. The following campaign, also as manager, he worked with CD Alcoyano, eventually losing promotion with both teams in the play-offs.

On 28 June 2013, Garitano joined CD Leganés still in the third tier. In his first season, he achieved promotion to division two after defeating CE L'Hospitalet in the play-offs; another promotion followed in 2016, after finishing second in the regular season.

On 24 May 2018, Garitano was appointed at the helm of Real Sociedad. On 26 December of the same year, he was dismissed following a poor sequence of results.

Garitano became manager of Deportivo Alavés on 21 May 2019, taking over from Abelardo who had resigned a day earlier. He was fired on 5 July the next year, after a run of five consecutive defeats.

On 27 January 2021, Garitano returned to Leganés, with the club back in the second division. He was sacked on 30 October, leaving the side in the relegation zone.

On 29 May 2023, after more than a year without coaching, Garitano replaced Luis Miguel Ramis at fellow second-tier CD Tenerife. He left on 2 June of the following year, after a 12th-place finish.

Personal life
Garitano is not related to fellow manager Gaizka Garitano, who also had playing spells with Bilbao Athletic and Eibar.