Known as “Goyo”, “El Profesor” or “El Manchego”, he was not always professionally linked to the football world, but for some 16 years his career was focused on teaching at the El Valley of Jaén secondary school where the bullfighter Enrique Ponce was one of his students.
A big football lover, he played for Recreativo de Bailén until an injury stopped him just as he was going to be signed by Sevilla F.C.
His role as a coach began in 1983 in the town of Santisteban del Puerto, when he became the trainer of the town football team, alongside his teaching job. His outstanding capacity as psychologist and educator would later take him to various clubs in the province, such as Úbeda C. F., until 1990 when he signed for Real Jaén.
In 1992 he left teaching to focus exclusively on football, signing for Talavera in the second league division B four years later.
Since being signed by Toledo second league division A in 1998, and debuting in the first division with Valladolid, Manzano would become the saviour of many teams in a complicated position and reaped many successes with large teams, such as the Copa del Rey with Mallorca in 2003. His worth as best coach was recognised in 2008 with the “Don Balón Award”, and his work as an ambassador for the promotion of Jaen culture and olive oil with the “Jaén, Paraíso Interior” award.
His career has led him to train great Spanish teams such as Atlético de Madrid, Málaga F.C., or Sevilla F. C., whilst the most recent stage of his professional journey pairs him with teams of the Chinese Super League.
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