Pablo Hernandez follows Marcelo Bielsa path as Leeds United title celebrations extend to Spain
A month of celebrations has continued for those with links to Leeds United.
A brilliant month for all involved with Leeds United continued over the weekend as club legend Pablo Hernandez won his first managerial title at the academy of boyhood club Castellon.
Hernandez was appointed manager of Castellon B in June, having returned to his hometown of Castalia from Leeds in 2021 before taking up a number of roles with his boyhood club. At 40-years-old, the much-loved former Elland Road favourite is still in the early part of his coaching career but an incredibly successful debut campaign in the dugout has followed.
Castellon secured the Tercera Division trophy - Spain’s fifth tier - with a thumping 5-0 win against Crevillente on Sunday, sparking wild celebrations as promotion to the fourth-tier Segunda Federacion was confirmed. Hernandez’s young side are now just two divisions below the first-team, who are currently 16th in the Segunda Division.
And the club’s X account posted some brilliant post-match scenes on social media after promotion was confirmed, with a characteristically understated Hernandez pulled in by his players before being lofted up in the air. The squad and fans then celebrated together and there was even Leeds representation in the crowd, with a flag bearing the vintage smiley badge hung over the barriers.
It’s undoubtedly a great achievement for Hernandez in his first managerial role, having taken 58 points from 34 games to finish just one point above La Roda. The former Leeds midfielder has overseen a huge improvement, with Castellon B finishing 14th in the same 18-team league one year ago.
Pablo Hernandez following path of former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa
And for Leeds fans, it’s particularly intriguing to see ‘El Mago’ follow a similar path to his former Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa, with both kicking off their coaching careers at their respective boyhood clubs. Bielsa spent a number of years coaching in the Newell’s Old Boys academy before a promotion to the first-team saw him win the Argentinian top-flight in the early 1990s, a title that earned him instant legend status.
Hernandez’s first piece of silverware has come at youth level but it will feel just as good, with yet more celebrations for Leeds-linked players. It remains to be seen how far the Spaniard’s managerial career might go in the future but a fairytale return to Elland Road has not been ruled out.
“Valencia and Leeds have been the clubs where I have spent the most time,” Hernandez told Flashscore back in October. “Obviously, those two clubs, along with Club Deportivo Castellón, are very important to me. There were five years [at Leeds] where I felt very loved, very important, where I managed to get promoted to the Premier League and where, the truth is, I really enjoyed myself as a player.
“Yes, obviously the clubs that are so important to me would be a dream [to manage], but it is something I am not considering at the moment. First, I want to learn a lot, I have a lot to learn, see if this is what really fulfils me and what I like, and in the future we will see what it holds.”
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