The open secret was dissolved. Pere Romeu (1993, Barcelona) will be the new coach of the women’s FC Barcelona starting next season and until 2026 after taking over from Jonatan Giráldez, who is leaving for the United States in search of new challenges, and whom he has accompanied for three years as one of its analysts and part of its staff with Rafel Navarro. A continuing decision, common for a few years in the women’s section of the Barça club, since Giráldez himself also promoted from the technical team of Lluís Cortés, who left in 2021. Romeu comes out of the shadows: a football obsessive – of analysis and tactics—that, deep down, he always knew that he wanted to be a coach, is shared by those who know him well, who also highlight his affable, simple and hard-working character. With a good relationship with the players and the coaching staff, Romeu does not have a simple mission ahead of him: to improve – if possible – or to match Giráldez’s legacy, with a historic poker of titles in the season of his farewell.
But the coach knows the club’s DNA well. Before joining the Vigo coach’s team, he trained for three years as a second in the formative football structure, when he arrived in July 2017. But even before, he grew up in Barcelona’s grassroots football. “He arrived from Europe, as a cadet. He also played in the youth team and then moved to the reserve team, playing some first team games. As a youth player he began to coach the little ones for two or three seasons,” recalls Marc Fernández, sports director of CP Sarrià and, at that time, his coach and coordinator. As a player, he occupied the pivot position, with some variations while growing up, recalls Fernández: “he was a very touching and organizing midfielder. Over the years he became more defensive, scratchy, preserving that vision of the game, but more aggressive defensively.”
Since he was little he showed ways as a coach, confesses his former coach at Sarrià. “He was very passionate, and he really liked to analyze the game, the rival, he liked tactics. He went to great detail to prepare for training sessions and matches,” he adds. He was always the first to sign up for football camps or concentrations. “He really liked social relationships. He is very approachable, and people tend to like him. He is simple and sincere. For his players he was a reference, and they loved him very much,” Fernández points out. And although he was not authoritarian, he did have authority, he continues: “He was a natural leader, by leading by example and doing things well, the players followed him.” But Romeu wanted to grow as a coach, and the club became too small for him, so he went to Hospitalet. There he also took charge of the base, until he took on a team of cadets, with which he faced Barcelona a couple of times. “He made good approaches in the games and they called him,” says Fernández.
Jordi Roura, former director of youth football at Barcelona, noticed it. Also Aureli Altamira and Marc Serra. “We had Pere under control. We knew how his team played at Hospitalet, and he did many things similar to us, we shared concepts, this DNA that we have,” explains the former soccer player. Then he landed at La Masía in 2017, and rose to cadets, as second, then, to Sergi Milà, with whom he trained the generation of 2004 — with footballers like Gavi or Aleix Garrido — and whom he considers his “football father.” “We liked the way he worked, how he controlled the team and how he played,” highlights Roura. And he adds: “He is a very hard-working man, affable to everyone, very studious and intelligent. From the first minute he integrated very well, and his adaptation was very fast and good, since he understood the game.”
In 2020, he left and had an experience in Romania, with Viitorul Constanta as Rubén de la Barerra’s second. But he returned a year later to be part of the new staff of the Giráldez women’s section. Now, at the helm, he has a new challenge: sitting on the bench as the first coach of FC Barcelona. Current champion team of Europe, and of Spain in all its competitions. For Fernández, the decision is ideal due to his level of “sacrifice and predisposition.” “It will be a success. He will take office normally,” adds Roura.
At the moment, Barcelona has already made official the signing of Ellie Roebuck – English goalkeeper from Manchester City to deal with the loss of Sandra Paños – and Ewa Pajor – Polish striker from Wolfsburg who arrives to fill the need for an efficient and scorer. The team is beginning to be configured, although some more arrivals could arrive this summer. “You have to believe. […] Give confidence in the club’s decision, understanding that they are always headed in the same direction, in the best interest of the section. The club will be in good hands,” Giráldez confessed in his last press conference at the Johan Cruyff stadium. A continuous line, a different team, but with the same intention: to continue reigning, although now, with another commander at the helm.
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