Rubén Sellés
Spanish football manager
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rubén Sellés Salvador (born 15 June 1983) is a Spanish professional football manager.
|
Sellés in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rubén Sellés Salvador | ||
| Date of birth | 15 June 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Valencia, Spain | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1999–2001 | Parreta | ||
| 2001–2002 | Burjassot | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1999–2003 | Parreta (youth) | ||
| 2003–2008 | Universitat València | ||
| 2010 | Shinnik Yaroslavl (assistant) | ||
| 2011 | Asteras Tripolis (assistant) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Gandía (assistant) | ||
| 2012–2014 | Neftçi (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2017 | Qarabağ (assistant) | ||
| 2018–2020 | AGF (assistant) | ||
| 2020 | Valencia (youth) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Copenhagen (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Southampton (assistant) | ||
| 2022 | Southampton (caretaker) | ||
| 2023 | Southampton | ||
| 2023–2024 | Reading | ||
| 2024–2025 | Hull City | ||
| 2025 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2025–2026 | Zaragoza | ||
Sellés has also managed Southampton in the Premier League and Reading. With coaching experience in Greece, Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Spain and England, Sellés has a Master's degree in Sports & Physiology from the University of Valencia, and graduated from UEFA's Pro Licence programme aged 25.
Coaching career
Born in Marxalenes, a neighborhood in Valencia, Sellés played for local side Parreta CF before finishing his playing career with Burjassot.[1] At the age of 16, he was already coaching the youth sides of Parreta.[2] In 2002, Sellés entered the University of Valencia and became a coach of the university's football team; he led the club to a promotion from the Segunda Regional in their first senior season, and kept the club in the Primera Regional in the following campaigns.[3][1]
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Sellés joined a host of compatriots at Greek side Aris Thessaloniki,[4] being an assistant fitness coach.[1] He departed in 2009 to perform a similar role for the Juvenil squad of Villarreal.[5]
In 2010, Sellés travelled to Russia, acting as assistant manager to Igor Lediakhov at Shinnik Yaroslavl.[6] He later worked as Óscar Fernández's assistant at Asteras Tripolis and Gandía,[7] before joining Neftçi; he remained an assistant manager there for two seasons, under managers Boyukagha Hajiyev, Arif Asadov, Nazim Suleymanov and Tarlan Ahmadov.
Sellés moved to Norwegian club Strømsgodset in 2015, working as Chief Data Analyst,[8] before returning to Azerbaijan as an assistant of Gurban Gurbanov at Qarabağ.[9] In July 2018, he joined Danish club Aarhus, assisting manager David Nielsen for two seasons.[8][10]
In July 2020, Sellés returned to his hometown after being appointed manager of Valencia's Juvenil B squad.[11] On 1 January 2021, he returned to Denmark and joined Copenhagen as assistant manager to Jess Thorup.[8]
Managerial career
Southampton
On 10 June 2022, Sellés departed Copenhagen to join Premier League club Southampton, as assistant to Ralph Hasenhüttl.[12] On 7 November, Hasenhüttl was sacked by Southampton, and Sellés was placed in caretaker charge of the club.[13] Sellés took charge of one match for The Saints before the appointment of new manager Nathan Jones, a 1–1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup on 9 November – in which Southampton advanced to the next round after a penalty shootout.[14]
He again took temporary charge of the team after Jones was sacked in February 2023.[15] His first game in charge was a 1–0 away victory over Chelsea.[16] On 24 February, Sellés was appointed manager until the end of the 2022–23 season.[17][18] On 24 May, Southampton confirmed that they would not renew his contract when it expired at the end of the season.[19] On 28 May, Sellés managed his final game at Southampton; a 4–4 draw against Liverpool on the final day of the league season.[20] In his three months in charge, he oversaw the relegation of Southampton to the EFL Championship, having won just two games in 17 matches.[21]
Reading
On 26 June 2023, Reading announced an agreement with Sellés to become their new first team manager, subject to a successful work visa application;[22] his appointment was confirmed on 14 July.[23] His first professional game in charge was a 0–1 defeat to Peterborough; his first victory came in the following match when Reading beat Millwall 0–4 away in the EFL Cup.[24][25]
Hull City
On 6 December 2024, Sellés was announced as the new head coach of Hull City on a two-and-a-half year contract, with the option for a third, in the place of the dismissed Tim Walter. In his first match in charge, he drew 1–1 to Watford, before going on to seal a 2–1 victory over Swansea City on home turf, gaining the Tigers their first win in 14 matches. In their first FA Cup match under his leadership, they lost 5–4 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw to Doncaster Rovers, exiting in the competition’s third round. On 15 May 2025, despite getting Hull City to safety, he was dismissed from his role.[26]
Sheffield United
On 18 June 2025, Sellés was announced as the new manager of Sheffield United on a three-year contract.[27][28] The team made a poor start to the season, losing all of their opening five league matches of the season, a run which included a 5–0 away defeat to winless Ipswich Town.[29] On 14 September, the club announced they had sacked Sellés.[30][31]
Zaragoza
On 20 October 2025, Sellés was appointed manager of Real Zaragoza, who were at the bottom of the Segunda División.[32] The following 2 March, he was dismissed.[33]
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 28 February 2026[34]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Southampton (caretaker) | 7 November 2022 | 10 November 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Southampton | 12 February 2023 | 28 May 2023 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 11.76 |
| Reading | 26 June 2023 | 6 December 2024 | 78 | 34 | 18 | 26 | 43.59 |
| Hull City | 6 December 2024 | 15 May 2025 | 28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 32.14 |
| Sheffield United | 18 June 2025 | 14 September 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Zaragoza | 20 October 2025 | 2 March 2026 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 25.00 |
| Total | 150 | 50 | 37 | 63 | 33.33 | ||