It’s almost impossible to imagine this proud Basque football man ever earning a living beyond the walls of his beloved Real Sociedad.
Devoted to the San Sebastian club’s cause, he has worked there in various roles for over two decades – nine years as a full-back, five years supervising the B team and six seasons and counting as head coach. When he says he is in his dream job, he means it with every fibre of his being.
But that’s not to say that he will remain at the Estadio Anoeta forever. Nothing in this game is written in stone and both within and outside of Spain, clubs are anything but indifferent to his against-the-odds achievements at the Sociedad helm: the permanent encampment in the top six of La Liga, four consecutive qualifications for Europe, victory in the 2020 Copa del Rey – their first trophy in 34 years – the fourth-place domestic league finish last season that meant a return to the Champions League after a decade-long hiatus, and strong performances in that competition’s group phase this term, topping a tough pool also featuring Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg and last year’s finalists Internazionale.
Spain’s Coach of the Year for 2022-23 not only delivers results – La Real play attractive and flamboyant attacking football, just as happy deftly and fluidly playing though the thirds as using physicality and athleticism to force the issue.
Barcelona, who have a long history of employing Basque personnel, have been admirers of his for quite some time. With then-Barca head coach Ronald Koeman struggling to put out a competitive side in the autumn of 2021, Camp Nou bosses were reported to be seriously tempted to replace the Dutchman with Imanol, only to decide to give Koeman more time.
When Koeman was eventually sacked in late October that same year, Alguacil’s name was again in the Blaugrana frame, though once more it was not to be. “He [Alguacil] is a coach who Barca like a lot,” recently claimed Ricardo Reyes, the presenter of Spanish football talkshow, El Desmarque. “Barca rang him twice befo
