Félix Sánchez (football manager)

Félix Sánchez Bas (born 13 December 1975) is a Spanish football coach.

Sánchez spent most of his career in Qatar, first with the national youth teams until being appointed to the senior team in 2017. His side won the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and were semi-finalists at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He left after their group-stage elimination in their hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and became manager of Ecuador. Sánchez resigned as manager of Ecuador after they were elimimated in the 2024 Copa América quarter-finals.

Qatar
Originally an FC Barcelona youth coach, Sánchez moved to Qatar in 2006 and joined Aspire Academy. In 2013, he was appointed coach of the Qatar under-19 side, winning the following year's AFC U-19 Championship.

On 3 July 2017, after a spell with the under-20s and under-23s, Sánchez replaced Jorge Fossati at the helm of the senior side. On his debut on 16 August, he won 1–0 against Andorra in a friendly at St George's Park in England. The side finished the year without qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and were eliminated from the group stage of the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup.

Sánchez led Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup title for the first time in 2019 tournament, having won all three group matches and knockout stage matches including a 3–1 win over Japan in the final, scoring 19 times and conceding only once. In May that year, he signed a new contract until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by Qatar. Weeks later, the team were invitees to the 2019 Copa América in Brazil, being knocked out in the group. In December, at the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup on home soil, the side reached the semi-finals.

Qatar were also invited to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States, where the hosts eliminated them 1–0 in the semi-finals. At the end of the year, his side made it to the semi-finals of the inaugural FIFA Arab Cup on home turf, eventually finishing third. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar, the national team lost all their matches in Group A, to become the worst performing host nation in the history of the competition. His contract with Qatar expired on 31 December of the same year and was not renewed.

Ecuador
On 11 March 2023, Sánchez signed a four-year deal to be manager of the Ecuador national football team. On his debut thirteen days later, the team lost 3–1 on his debut, a friendly with Australia in Sydney.

After losing against the Argentine soccer team on penalties 4-2 (a 1-1 draw in regulation time) in quarter-finals in the Copa America USA 2024, the Ecuadorian Football Federation made his departure from the Ecuadorian team official, culminating nearly 20 months of being in the team.

Honours
Qatar U19
 * AFC U-19 Championship: 2014

Qatar U23
 * AFC U-23 Championship third place: 2018

Qatar
 * AFC Asian Cup: 2019