Robert Moreno
Overview
Robert Moreno (born September 19, 1977) is a Spanish football manager. He served as Luis Enrique's assistant coach at Barcelona and the Spain national team. In 2019, when Enrique stepped down due to personal reasons, Moreno took over as head coach of Spain and led the team to qualification for UEFA Euro 2020. He later stepped aside when Enrique returned, and also worked as a club manager, taking charge of Monaco, Granada, and Sochi.
Main Career
Early career and collaboration with Enrique
Born in the Barcelona area, Moreno had a brief playing career as a footballer before soon turning to coaching. He initially worked as a fitness coach and later became Luis Enrique's right-hand man after meeting him. He worked together with Enrique at Barcelona B in 2013, at Celta Vigo in 2014, and from 2015 onward as assistant coach at the Barcelona first team. During his time at Barcelona, he won major trophies including La Liga and the Copa del Rey. In 2018, when Enrique was appointed head coach of the Spain national team, Moreno joined the national team coaching staff alongside him.
Interim head coach of Spain
In June 2019, Enrique resigned as Spain manager due to his daughter's health issues, and Moreno was suddenly placed in charge as interim head coach. He immediately reorganized the team and recorded outstanding results during his tenure, winning all six remaining UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches. Thanks to his leadership, Spain finished top of their group unbeaten and secured a place in the final tournament of Euro 2020. At that time, Moreno's win rate was 100 percent, and the Spanish media took note of him as a candidate for the permanent managerial position.
Enrique's return and conflict
However, in November of the same year, Enrique — whose daughter's condition had improved — signed a new contract with the Spanish Football Federation and announced his return. The federation offered Moreno a return to his previous role as assistant coach. But Moreno refused to step down and rejected being demoted to Enrique's assistant, seeking recognition for what he had achieved as head coach. In the end, Moreno was entirely removed from the national team setup. At a press conference, he expressed his anger, calling it “an absurd decision,” and publicly criticized both the federation and Enrique. The controversy sent shockwaves through Spanish football, and the relationship between the two men was completely severed afterwards.
Failure at Monaco and Granada
After leaving Spain, Moreno returned to management in July 2020 when he was appointed head coach of AS Monaco in Ligue 1. However, he was dismissed after just five months, in December, due to poor results. At the time, Monaco were stuck in the lower half of the league table, and Moreno was also judged to have failed to take control of the squad. In August 2021, he took charge of Granada CF in Spain's Primera División, but the team remained in the bottom zone throughout the 2021–22 season and he was sacked again in March 2022. These consecutive failures at two clubs raised further questions about his managerial ability.
Short spell at Sochi in Russia
In August 2023, Moreno was appointed head coach of FC Sochi in the Russian Premier League. At the time, Sochi were struggling with financial difficulties and poor results. Moreno tried to rebuild the team but failed to secure victories. Eventually, just three months into his tenure, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement in November 2023. Since then, he has not held an official managerial position, though he has been linked with several clubs.
Latest developments
As of 2024 and 2025, Moreno has not obtained a new managerial job. Spanish media have reported that he is seeking a return to the Segunda División or to leagues in the Middle East or Asia, but no official announcement has been made. He remains a figure frequently mentioned in Spanish football whenever the conflict with Enrique comes up, and some assessments suggest that his abilities as a coach are greater than his record as a head coach. Meanwhile, there are reports that he has recently been active as a pundit on domestic broadcasts, making his voice heard in the football world.
Related topics
- [[Spain national football team]]
- [[Luis Enrique]]
- [[AS Monaco]]
- [[Granada CF]]
- [[FC Sochi]]
- [[UEFA Euro 2020]]