Javier Rabanal
Spanish football manager
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Javier Rabanal Hernández (born 19 April 1979) is a Spanish football manager.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Javier Rabanal Hernández | ||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1979[1] | ||
| Place of birth | San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| Maspalomas | |||
| Regla | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Regla (women) | ||
| 1999–2000 | Regla (youth) | ||
| 2000–2002 | San Gerardo (youth) | ||
| 2002–2003 | Laguna (youth) | ||
| 2003–2004 | Esperanza (youth) | ||
| 2004–2005 | Atlético Pinar (assistant) | ||
| 2005–2007 | Candela (assistant) | ||
| 2008–2009 | Las Zocas (assistant) | ||
| 2009 | Los Llanos de Aridane (assistant) | ||
| 2010–2011 | Atlético Victoria (assistant) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Atlético Restinga | ||
| 2012–2014 | Laguna (youth) | ||
| 2014–2016 | Esperanza | ||
| 2018–2020 | Willem II U21 | ||
| 2018–2019 | Willem II U19 | ||
| 2022–2023 | PSV Eindhoven (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | Independiente Juniors | ||
| 2025 | Independiente del Valle | ||
| 2026 | Universitario | ||
Career
Born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Rabanal played for CD Maspalomas and CF Regla as a youth before switching to managerial roles in 1998, after taking over the latter's women's team.[1] He would later work at local sides San Gerardo CF, CD Laguna de Tenerife, UD Esperanza, Atlético Pinar CF, CD Candela, UD Las Zocas, UD Los Llanos de Aridane and CA Victoria, either as a youth manager or as an assistant.[2]
Rabanal's first managerial experience occurred in 2011, after taking over Atlético Restinga in the Primera Interinsular Tenerife.[3] After avoiding relegation with the side, he returned to Laguna in the following year, after being appointed manager of the Juvenil squad in the División de Honor Juvenil.
In 2014, Rabanal returned to Esperanza, with the club now named CD Zamorano Esperanza, as their first team manager also in the sixth tier. He led the side to a promotion in his first year,[1] and left in 2016 to work in Canada and China, at Futuro Soccer Academy and Leyi Academy, respectively.[4]
In 2018, Rabanal moved to the Netherlands to join Willem II; initially as an under-19 manager, he also managed the reserve team in the Beloften Eredivisie.[5] On 10 February 2022, he agreed to join PSV Eindhoven for the upcoming season, as an assistant of Ruud van Nistelrooy at Jong PSV;[5] Willem II announced the move on 3 March.[6]
On 30 March 2022, however, PSV announced that van Nistelrooy would become the manager of the first team for the 2022–23 season, with Rabanal as his assistant.[7] He left after van Nistelrooy resigned, and moved to Ecuador on 15 January 2024, to take over Independiente del Valle's reserve side Independiente Juniors in the Serie B.[8]
Rabanal led Independiente Juniors to a fourth position in the 2024 Serie B, before being appointed at the helm of the first team on 21 December.[9] Despite winning the 2025 title, the club announced his contract would not be renewed on 13 December of that year.[10]
On 15 December 2025, Rabanal agreed to become the manager of Peruvian club Universitario ahead of the upcoming season.[11] The following 21 April, he left by mutual consent.[12]
Managerial statistics
- As of 19 April 2025
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Independiente del Valle |  |
21 December 2024 | 21 December 2025 | 57 | 30 | 17 | 10 | 94 | 52 | +42 | 52.63 |
| Universitario |  |
1 January 2026 | 21 April 2026 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 41.67 |
| Career total | 69 | 35 | 21 | 13 | 107 | 63 | +44 | 50.72 | |||
Honours
Independiente del Valle