Manolo Sanlúcar (footballer)

Manuel Real Jiménez (born 18 November 1972), known as Manolo Sanlúcar or just Sanlúcar, is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a forward. He is the current manager of FC Helsingør.

Playing career
Sanlúcar was born in Bornos, Cádiz, Andalusia, and began his career with hometown club UD Bornense. He moved to Tercera División side Jerez Industrial CF in 1995, and subsequently played for fellow league team CD San Fernando before joining Xerez CD in Segunda División B in January 1997 and helping them in their promotion to Segunda División.

Sanlúcar would resume his career in the third and fourth tiers, representing Atlético Sanluqueño CF (two stints), Puerto Real CF, San Fernando, Ciudad de Murcia, CD Alcalá, Racing Club Portuense and AD Ceuta, achieving a promotion to the second tier in 2003 with Ciudad Murcia. He retired in 2010, aged 37.

Managerial career
Immediately after retiring, Sanlúcar was appointed manager of his first club Bornense in the Regional Preferente. On 14 July 2011, he took over fourth division side CD Mairena.

On 6 June 2012, after missing out promotion in the play-offs, Sanlúcar was confirmed as manager of fellow fourth tier side Algeciras CF. He achieved promotion in his first season but suffered immediate relegation in his second, and left the club on 23 June 2014.

On 22 March 2016, after more than a year without coaching, Sanlúcar was named at the helm of CF Villanovense in the third division. He led the club to their best-ever finish in the category in the 2016–17 campaign, but after again missing out promotion in the play-offs, he left on 16 June 2017.

On 19 June 2017, Sanlúcar was appointed Real Murcia CF manager. On 2 October, after only one win in seven league matches, he was sacked.

On 18 October 2018, after more than a year of inactivity, Sanlúcar was named in charge of Málaga CF's reserves also in the third tier. Despite suffering relegation, he remained in the category after taking over CD Ebro on 22 June 2019.

Sanlúcar left Ebro on 20 May 2021, and was named at the helm of another club he represented as a player, Atlético Sanluqueño, the following 14 February. He left on a mutual agreement on 9 May 2022, after five winless matches and threatened with relegation in the 2021–22 Primera División RFEF.

On 31 December 2022, Sanlúcar was appointed manager of Segunda Federación side CD Atlético Paso. On July 3, 2024, Danish club FC Helsingør confirmed Sanlúcar as the new head coach of the club that had just been relegated to the Danish 2nd Division.

Personal life
Sanlúcar's son Antonio is also a footballer and a forward. He too represented Bornense.