Former Carlisle United Star Zigor Aranalde has departed his assistant coach position with Leeds United alongside Javi Gracia, as reported by The News And Star.
Leeds United today announced they have parted company with manager Javi Gracia after just 12 games in charge of the club and appointed Sam Allardyce.
As well as news of this departure, it also sees former Carlisle United defender Zigor Aranalde depart the club as part of Gracia’s backroom team as his assistant coach.
Aranalde has spent much of his career since retiring as a player working with Gracia, previously the Spaniard’s assistant at Valencia and Watford.
Playing career.
In a playing career that spanned almost twenty years, the left-back began his journey with Club Deportivo Hernani, plying his trade in Spain until 2000, where he would feature for clubs that included Sevilla and Eibar.
In 2000, he made the switch to England joining Walsall, where he would spend five years, earning promotion via the play-off final in his first season. He would remain with the club until 2005, making 195 appearances, however, in March 2005, he would surprisingly be released by then manager Paul Merson.
He went on to join Sheffield Wednesday immediately following his release, but after being sent off in just his second appearance he would never feature for the side again and be released by the Owls also.
In the summer of 2005, he joined Carlisle United, part of a side that won the title and were promoted from League Two, he would score five goals, teaming up with two other ex-Walsall players in Karl Hawley and current Carlisle manager Paul Simpson.
Coaching career.
The defender would be released from Carlisle in 2008, and despite joining two other clubs following this, he would never play football again.
He returned to English football in April 2010, when he was named chief scout at Brighton & Hove Albion before going on to hold the same position at West Bromwich Albion.
His first assistant coach position came at Albacete, lasting two years in the role, he would leave in 2013 and be named assistant coach at Watford in 2018 alongside Javi Gracia.
Working with Gracia
The pairing of Gracia and Aranalde is something that would last following their sacking from Watford in 2019. Gracia would go on to name the former defender as his assistant in three other roles past Watford.
In 2020, they would reunite at Spanish side Valencia, before Al Sadd in 2021 until January 2023, when the pair would return to the Premier League joining Leeds United.
The story.
Leeds United have parted company with manager Javi Gracia and this has seen the departure of his backroom staff also, which includes the former Carlisle United defender.
The news of his departure may come as a shock to many, given he was only appointed in January and was only in charge for 12 games.
Gracia appointed Aranalde as his assistant after succeeding Jesse Marsch but the club has chosen to part company with the Spaniard in order to appoint Sam Allardyce, who is believed to be appointing former Oxford United manager Karl Robinson as his assistant.
Writers View.
It is very common to see an assistant coach depart when a manager departs, especially when that assistant coach was appointed by the manager.
The news would be expected with the news that broke of Karl Robinson joining up with Allardyce at Leeds.
With that said, given the history of the pair working together, it would be no surprise to see Aranalde and Gracia working together in the future in some capacity.
