Albert Roca
Roca during his coaching spell with Barcelona
Personal information
Full name Albert Roca Pujol
Date of birth (1962-10-20) 20 October 1962
Place of birth Granollers, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Bengaluru FC (technical consultant)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1983 Hospitalet 21 (1)
1983–1984 Sabadell 34 (0)
1984–1986 Zaragoza B 67 (2)
1986 Zaragoza 1 (0)
1986–1987 Sabadell 26 (1)
1987–1988 Zaragoza 4 (0)
1988–1990 Atlético Madrileño 55 (3)
1990–1992 Palamós 17 (0)
Total 225 (7)
Managerial career
1997–1998 Europa (assistant)
1998–1999 Europa
1999–2000 Manlleu
2001–2003 Sabadell (assistant)
2003–2008 Barcelona (assistant)
2009–2010 Galatasaray (assistant)
2011–2013 Saudi Arabia (assistant)
2014–2015 El Salvador
2016–2018 Bengaluru
2020 Hyderabad
2020–2021 Barcelona (assistant)
2023-2024 Bengaluru (Technical Consultant)
Penang
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Albert Roca Pujol (born 20 October 1962) is a Spanish professional football manager and former footballer. He currently works as the Head coach Malaysian Super League club Penang.[1]

Playing career

Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Roca spent most of his career with clubs in his native region, starting out at CE L'Hospitalet in the Segunda División B. In 1984 he signed for Real Zaragoza, being assigned to the B team also in that league and helping them promote to the Segunda División in his first season.

Roca's input at the professional level consisted of 75 games and three goals in the second tier with Zaragoza B, Atlético Madrid B and Palamós CF, and 31 matches and one goal in La Liga with Zaragoza and CE Sabadell CF. He scored his only goal in the latter competition on 8 March 1987, in a 3–1 away loss against RCD Español whilst playing for the latter side.[2]

Roca retired at the end of the 1991–92 campaign, aged 29.

Coaching career

Roca began working as a head coach in 1998, at CE Europa in the Tercera División. He won the Copa Catalunya against FC Barcelona, before switching to neighbouring club AEC Manlleu the following year.[3]

In 2001, Roca joined Sabadell's coaching staff, leaving two years later for Barcelona under newly appointed Frank Rijkaard. The pair went on to work together at Galatasaray SK and the Saudi Arabia national team.[4][5][6][7][8]

On 12 May 2014, Roca was appointed as manager of El Salvador.[9][10] His first game in charge occurred on 4 June at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, ending with a 1–2 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast.[11] His first win came against the Dominican Republic in another exhibition match, on 30 August (2–0).[12]

Roca returned to club duties on 6 July 2016, signing a two-year contract with I-League champions Bengaluru FC.[13] They immediately proceeded to reach the final of the AFC Cup, becoming the first team in the country to achieve the feat but eventually losing 1–0 to Iraq's Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[14][15] Subsequently, and still under his guidance, the side won the 2016–17 edition of the Federation Cup[16] and reached the finals in the Indian Super League.[17][18]

On 12 January 2020, Roca became head coach of Hyderabad FC also in the Indian top flight.[19][20] He returned to Barcelona in August after agreeing to terminate his two-year contract, as fitness coach under newly appointed Ronald Koeman.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Release, Press (30 January 2023). "ISL 2023: Albert Roca join Bengaluru FC as new Technical Consultant - Check Out". www.insidesport.in. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Tarín Alonso, Manuel (9 March 1987). "3–1: No hay fronteras para este Español" [3–1: There's no stopping this Español]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  3. ↑ Sriram, Arvind (28 July 2016). "A look at Bengaluru FC's new manager Albert Roca". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  4. ↑ Ortuño, Xavier (15 February 2010). "Albert Roca: "Nunca pudimos determinar que producía las lesiones de cruzados"" [Albert Roca: "We could never determine what was causing the cruciate injuries"]. Sport (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Bruña, Manel (28 February 2010). "Albert Roca: "Tener lesiones es normal"" [Albert Roca: "It's normal to sustain injuries"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Çiftçi, Memet (20 October 2010). "El Galatasaray destituye a Rijkaard" [Galatasaray dismiss Rijkaard]. Marca (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Arabia Saudí, con mando culé" [Saudi Arabia, culés in charge] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 24 August 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Alonso Filgueira, Álvaro (7 September 2012). "Arabia Saudí, territorio "español"" [Saudi Arabia, "Spanish" territory] (in Spanish). Vavel. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Roca presented as El Salvador's new head coach". CONCACAF. 12 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Duarte, Alfredo (5 February 2018). "Albert Roca suena para entrenar otra vez a una selección nacional" [Albert Roca poised to coach a national team again]. El Gráfico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "Drogba y Gervinho acaban con El Salvador" [Drogba and Gervinho finish El Salvador]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 June 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  12. ↑ "La Selecta vence 2–0 a Dominicana" [Selecta defeat Dominican 2–0] (in Spanish). ElSalvador.com. 30 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "Albert Roca appointed as Bengaluru FC coach". Bengaluru FC. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "AFC Cup final preview: JSW Bengaluru FC vs Air Force Club". Fox Sports Asia. November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "Bengaluru FC go down to Iraq Air Force Club in AFC Cup final". India Today. 6 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Federation Cup: Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan 2–0, win title". India Today. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "Bengaluru FC storm into Indian Super League semifinals". Bengaluru FC. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "Indian Super League final shifted to Bengaluru from Kolkata". The Times of India. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "ISL: Albert Roca to take full charge of Hyderabad FC from 2020–21 season". The Hindu. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "Ex-Bengaluru FC manager Albert Roca appointed as coach of Hyderabad FC". News 18. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  21. ↑ "Hyderabad FC part ways with Albert Roca as FC Barcelona come calling". Hyderabad FC. 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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