The Passion For Football Forged On The Street And The Legacy At Villarreal

Juan Carlos Garrido: The Passion for Football Forged on the Street and the Legacy at Villarreal

From the Family Bar to the Elite Benches: The Career of a Coach with the Soul of a Footballer

Barcelona – 03/16/2026 23:39 CET

From the streets of Valencia, where the smell of grass mixed with that of the tapas from the family bar, to the most prestigious benches in Europe, Juan Carlos Garrido's life has been a constant tribute to the beautiful game. At **56 years old**, this Valencian coach has a career that has taken him to unexpected corners of football, leaving an indelible mark on each club he has coached. **Real Betis**, Belgian **Brujas** and **Castellón** are just some of the stations on a journey that began, in his own words, almost by chance.

“I became a coach when I was in my early 20s. I got involved little by little by chance,” Garrido confesses in a recent interview on the *Offsiders* podcast. His innate passion for football, the one that made him disconnect in class to dream of masterful plays, found an unexpected catalyst in the figure of his gym teacher, **Jorge Simón**. “He was my mirror and a reference,” he recalls with emotion, highlighting the influence of the former physical trainer for Valencia and Real Madrid with Guus Hiddink. A figure who would also become his right-hand man in the coaching staff.

Garrido's childhood was marked by the proximity of two temples of football: the school and the mythical **Mestalla**. “From the door of my house, there are **100 meters** to the school and **100 meters** to Mestalla,” he recalls. He grew up in a generation where football was played in the streets, and his family's bar, located next to the stadium, was an unavoidable meeting point. “I sneaked onto the field many times and that has influenced my life because I have seen **thousands of training sessions and games**. That's what makes me so fond of football,” he explains with palpable nostalgia.

However, if there is a club that resonates with special affection in the heart of Juan Carlos Garrido, that is **Villarreal**. His link with the “Yellow Submarine” dates back to his work as youth team director, a role that catapulted him to the first team bench in **2010 and 2011**. That stage, marked by a bold style of play and a deep respect for the youth team, left memorable moments.

One of those episodes that still resonates in Garrido's memory is a match played against José Mourinho's **Real Madrid** at the Bernabéu. “We always played against Barça or Madrid even if we lost. We played spectacularly,” he remembers with pride. The final result was **4-2** in favor of the white team, but the Valencian coach insists that his team gave an exhibition: “We gave them an incredible review.” The controversy, as often happened at that time, came with an arbitration decision.

The match in question, played on **January 9, 2011**, saw one of **Cristiano Ronaldo's** goals go up on the scoreboard in an offside position. Without VAR technology, the referee's decision tipped the balance, preventing the points from traveling to Vila-real. “There was one of those typical Bernabéu plays that went the other way and we lost,” Garrido laments, underlining the injustice he felt that day.

But Garrido's greatest contribution to Villarreal transcends specific results. His work in creating a **successful youth team** has been fundamental to the club's recent history. “When I arrived, there was no youth academy at Villarreal. They trusted me to help them in that process and I can feel very proud to have been there,” he says with satisfaction. The philosophy he established, where “playing well is always competing”, has endured and has been the pillar of the success of the 'grogueta' academy.

In that quarry, precisely, the talent of **Santi Cazorla** germinated, a player whom Garrido remembers with admiration. “Santi is an excellent kid. Obviously, he has quality,” he praises. The coach confesses that in his first year he demanded more from the young midfielder: “I saw him as very capable and I demanded and pushed him more.” However, he recognizes Cazorla's merit: “He is an example of a player who was helped at Villarreal and managed to improve because of the personality he had.”

Finally, Garrido evokes one of the most intense experiences of his career: a playoff for promotion to the Second Division with **Villarreal B** in Jaén. The atmosphere was suffocating, with the bus taking forever to travel a short distance due to the hostile surroundings. “The bus took half an hour to travel **200 meters** and people threw glasses of ice at us,” he says. Despite the pressure, the team showed admirable temperance: “We were a young team and we knew how to maintain our temper.” The match, which began with a goal against, ended with an epic comeback: “They scored before, but we tied before the break and in the second half we made it **1-2**.” That victory, sealed in a hostile environment, became “the happiest day of my life as a coach.”

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the current age of Juan Carlos Garrido?
Juan Carlos Garrido is **56 years old**.

What important teams has Juan Carlos Garrido managed?
He has managed teams such as **Real Betis**, **Brujas** and **Villarreal**.

What role did Jorge Simón play in Garrido's career?
Jorge Simón, his gym teacher, was a **reference** and a **mirror** for Garrido, influencing his decision to become a coach.

What was Juan Carlos Garrido's childhood like in relation to football?
He grew up playing in the street and near the **Mestalla Stadium**, where his family had a bar, which allowed him to watch many games and training sessions since he was little.

What was your most significant stage at Villarreal?
His time as **director of the youth team** and later coach of the **first team** in **2010 and 2011**, where he promoted the training of young talents.

Was there any notable refereeing controversy during your time at Villarreal?
Yes, in a match against **Real Madrid** at the Bernabéu, a goal by **Cristiano Ronaldo** that was considered offside influenced the result.

What did Garrido contribute to the Villarreal youth team?
He helped **create and develop** a youth team that did not exist before, establishing a philosophy of “playing well is always competing.”

How do you describe Santi Cazorla?
He describes him as an **excellent kid** with innate quality, highlighting that he was required to improve and that his personality was key in his development.

What has been the happiest day of your life as a coach?
The day his team, **Villarreal B**, achieved promotion to the Second Division in **Jaén**, overcoming a hostile environment and coming back in the game.

What inspired you when you started as a coach?
The **passion for soccer** that was transmitted to him by his environment, especially his teacher Jorge Simón, and the experience of soccer on the street and in the stadium.

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