| Juan Ramón López Caro | |
| Fullname: | Juan Ramón López Caro |
| Birth Date: | 23 March 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Lebrija, Spain |
| Youthclubs1: | Lebrijana |
| Youthclubs2: | Betis |
| Manageryears1: | 1992–1993 |
| Managerclubs1: | Lebrijana |
| Manageryears2: | 1993–1995 |
| Managerclubs2: | Lebrija |
| Manageryears3: | 1995–1997 |
| Managerclubs3: | Los Palacios |
| Manageryears4: | 1997–1998 |
| Managerclubs4: | Dos Hermanas |
| Manageryears5: | 1998–1999 |
| Managerclubs5: | Melilla |
| Manageryears6: | 1999–2001 |
| Manageryears7: | 2000 |
| Managerclubs7: | Mallorca |
| Manageryears8: | 2001–2005 |
| Managerclubs8: | Real Madrid B |
| Manageryears9: | 2005–2006 |
| Managerclubs9: | Real Madrid |
| Manageryears10: | 2006 |
| Managerclubs10: | Racing Santander |
| Manageryears11: | 2006–2007 |
| Managerclubs11: | Levante |
| Manageryears12: | 2007–2008 |
| Managerclubs12: | Celta |
| Manageryears13: | 2008–2010 |
| Managerclubs13: | Spain U21 |
| Manageryears14: | 2010 |
| Managerclubs14: | Vaslui |
| Manageryears15: | 2013–2014 |
| Managerclubs15: | Saudi Arabia |
| Manageryears16: | 2016 |
| Managerclubs16: | Oman |
| Manageryears17: | 2016–2017 |
| Managerclubs17: | Dalian Yifang |
| Manageryears18: | 2018–2019 |
| Managerclubs18: | Shenzhen |
Juan Ramón López Caro (pronounced as /es/; born 23 March 1963) is a Spanish football manager.
He managed Real Madrid and Levante in La Liga, as well as Celta and Real Madrid Castilla in the Segunda División. After a spell in charge of Spain under-21 he moved abroad, managing the national sides of Saudi Arabia and Oman and winning promotion from China League One with two clubs.
Born in Lebrija, Province of Seville, Andalusia, López Caro began working as coach before his 30th birthday, with clubs in his city of birth. His first job at the professional level arrived in the 1998–99 season, as he led Melilla to the first position in the Segunda División B, albeit without promotion in the playoffs. He then became manager of Mallorca B, and officially coached the first team in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Romania's CSM Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț in July 2000 (4–3 aggregate loss); the reserves contested this fixture as Luis Aragonés' side had not yet commenced pre-season.[1]
Lopéz Caro signed with Real Madrid in the summer of 2001, being in charge of the reserve team and achieving promotion to Segunda División in 2005.[2] He was promoted to the main squad in December of that year following the sacking of Vanderlei Luxemburgo, and his first game was a 2–1 away loss against Olympiacos in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.[3]
After leaving the Santiago Bernabéu in June 2006, López Caro was appointed at fellow top-flight club Racing Santander for a salary of €650,000 that would rise to €900,000 should the team avoid relegation.[4] However, a month later and without leading the Cantabrians in a competitive match, he moved to Levante.[5] The following January, days after a 3–0 defeat at city rivals Valencia, he was dismissed and Abel Resino appointed in his place.[6] [7]
López Caro returned to the second tier in October 2007, succeeding Hristo Stoichkov at 11th-placed Celta.[8] The following March he too was relieved of his duties, with the side now in eighth but nine points off the promotion places.[9]
In May 2008, López Caro had his first international job, being placed in charge of the Spain's under-21s succeeding Iñaki Sáez.[10] He qualified them for the 2009 UEFA European Championship in Sweden,[11] where they were edged in the group stage by England and Germany.[12]
In June 2010, López Caro moved abroad for the first time to Liga I's Vaslui,[13] on a three-year deal for a total €3.5 million salary subject to bonuses, therefore becoming the best paid coach in the competition's history.[14] He was fired in October, after enduring a rocky spell in Romania.[15] [16]
López Caro succeeded Frank Rijkaard as manager of the Saudi Arabia national team in January 2013.[17] After a disappointing showing in the Arabian Gulf Cup in the run-up to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, he was dismissed in December 2014.[18] He remained in the Middle East and was hired for the same job by Oman in January 2016,[19] and left by mutual accord at the end of his one-year contract.[20]
Remaining in Asia, López Caro was hired by Dalian Yifang of China League One in November 2016.[21] In his only season, he won promotion to the Chinese Super League, with a record points tally and a game to spare.[22]
In April 2018, López Caro was appointed at Shenzhen, again in the second division and won promotion, this time as runners-up.[23] He was fired at the end of July 2019 with the side second from bottom in a 12-game winless run, and succeeded by Roberto Donadoni.[24]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Palacios |  | 1 July 1995 | 30 June 1997 | [25] | |||||
| Dos Hermanas | | 1 July 1997 | 30 June 1998 | [26] | |||||
| Melilla | | 1 July 1998 | 30 June 1999 | [27] | |||||
| Mallorca B | | 1 July 1999 | 30 June 2001 | [28] | |||||
| Mallorca | | 30 June 2000 | 9 July 2000 | [29] | |||||
| Real Madrid B | | 1 July 2001 | 4 December 2005 | [30] | |||||
| Real Madrid | | 4 December 2005 | 3 June 2006 | [31] | |||||
| Racing Santander | | 3 June 2006 | 6 July 2006 | ||||||
| Levante | | 6 July 2006 | 15 January 2007 | [32] | |||||
| Celta | | 8 October 2007 | 11 March 2008 | [33] | |||||
| Spain U21 | | 1 July 2008 | 14 June 2010 | [34] | |||||
| Vaslui |  | 14 June 2010 | 9 October 2010 | ||||||
| Saudi Arabia |  | 10 January 2013 | 15 December 2014 | ||||||
| Oman |  | 14 January 2016 | 29 November 2016 | ||||||
| Dalian Yifang |  | 29 November 2016 | 26 December 2017 | ||||||
| Shenzhen | | 11 April 2018 | July 2019 | ||||||
| Total | — | ||||||||
Melilla
Real Madrid B
Dalian Yifang
Saudi Arabia
Individual