Narcís Pèlach
Spanish football coach (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Narcís Pèlach Nadal (born 5 September 1988), sometimes known as Chicho, is a Spanish football coach and former player.
|
Pèlach in 2024. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Narcís Pèlach Nadal[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 September 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Girona, Spain | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–2007 | Girona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2010 | Cassà | ||
| 2010–2011 | Manlleu | ||
| 2011–2014 | Palamós | ||
| 2014–2016 | Figueres | 59 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2016 | Figueres (youth) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Figueres | ||
| 2018–2019 | Peralada | ||
| 2022 | Huddersfield Town (interim) | ||
| 2023 | Huddersfield Town (interim) | ||
| 2024 | Stoke City | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Pèlach was born in Girona, Catalonia, and joined the youth categories of hometown club Girona at the age of five.[2] He left the side in August 2007, and signed for Tercera División newcomers Cassà.[3][4]
On 24 June 2010, after Cassá's relegation, Pèlach moved to fellow fourth tier side Manlleu.[5] He joined Palamós in the Primera Catalana in July of the following year,[6] and helped in their promotion back to the fourth division in his first season.
On 29 May 2014, Pèlach and teammate Ritxi signed for Figueres still in the fourth level.[7] He retired in May 2016, aged just 27.[8]
Coaching career
Immediately after joining Figueres, Pèlach started working as a coach of their Juvenil B team, being named in charge of the Juvenil A side on 28 July 2015.[9] On 17 May 2016, after retiring, he was presented as manager of the first team.[8]
On 4 January 2018, Pèlach was presented as Peralada-Girona B manager, with the farm team of Girona playing in Segunda División B.[10] On 6 June 2018, after leading the side to a ninth place finish, he renewed his contract until 2020.[11]
In June 2019, after Peralada's relegation and their affiliation with Girona ended, Pèlach was named Juan Carlos Unzué's assistant at Girona's first team.[12] In October, after Unzué was sacked and José Luis Martí was named the new manager, he and fellow assistant Juan Carlos Moreno were fired from the club.[13]
On 24 July 2020, Pèlach moved abroad for the first time in his career and joined Carlos Corberán's staff at English club Huddersfield Town.[14] He was appointed interim head coach in September 2022,[15] winning his only game in charge, before Mark Fotheringham took over.[16] Pèlach was again named interim manager of Huddersfield in February 2023, replacing Fotheringham.[17][18] His spell lasted six days, as the club appointed Neil Warnock.[19]
In May 2023, Pèlach joined Norwich City as a first-team coach.[20]
In September 2024, Pèlach was linked in the media to the vacant Stoke City manager job,[21][22] and was announced as Stoke's new head coach on 18 September 2024, signing a three-year contract.[23] Pèlach was sacked on 27 December 2024 after only winning three of his 19 games in charge.[24][25]
On 9 January 2025, Pèlach joined Premier League club West Ham United as first-team coach following the appointment of Graham Potter as head coach.[26] Pèlach was sacked by West Ham on 27 September 2025, along with Potter and the rest of his backroom staff.[27]
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 26 December 2024[28]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Huddersfield Town (caretaker) | 10 February 2023 | 15 February 2023[a] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Stoke City | 18 September 2024 | 27 December 2024 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 15.79 |
| Total | 21 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 14.29 | ||
- On 13 February 2023, Huddersfield Town announced that Neil Warnock would be returning as manager on 16 February 2023.[19] Soccerbase uses the date of Neil Warnock's announcement as his start date in the job, so erroneously attributes the match played on 15 February (a 3-0 loss to Stoke City) to Warnock rather than to Pelach, who was manager for that match.[29]
