José Manuel Esnal

Early years and Lleida

Born in Balmaseda, Basque Country, Mané started coaching in his late 20s, his first job being with his hometown club. Save for two years with UE Figueres, he worked exclusively in his native region during this time. In 1988, Mané returned to Catalonia and joined UE Lleida, taking them from Segunda División B to La Liga in only four years. In 1993–94, the team's second-ever top flight experience, relegation befell after in spite of a 1–0 away win against FC Barcelona and a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at the Camp d'Esports, with only five other wins during the season. Lleida finished third in the Segunda División the following campaign, but lost in the subsequent promotion playoffs against Sporting de Gijón.

Alavés

After second division spells at RCD Mallorca (only 12 games) and Levante UD, Mané signed with Deportivo Alavés, returning to the club after coaching it in the 1984–85 season in the third division. In the first campaign in his second spell he led them to the league championship, adding a semi-final presence in the Copa del Rey after ousting Real Madrid in the round-of-16 and Deportivo de La Coruña in the quarter-finals. In 1999–2000, with a side that included Basque Julio Salinas, Mané led Alavés to its best classification ever in the top flight, sixth, with qualification for the UEFA Cup as a result – season highlights included winning both matches against Barcelona (2–1 and 1–0) plus a 2–1 home defeat of eventual champions…

Figueres

Segunda División B: 1985–86 Lleida

Segunda División: 1992–93 Segunda División B: 1989–90 Copa Catalunya runner-up: 1992, 1999 Alavés

Segunda División: 1997–98 UEFA Cup runner-up: 2000–01