Narcís Pèlach

Narcís Pèlach
Personal information
Full name Narcís Pèlach Nadal[1]
Date of birth (1988-09-05) 5 September 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Girona, Spain
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Stoke City (head coach)
Youth career
1994–2007 Girona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Cassà
2010–2011 Manlleu
2011–2014 Palamós
2014–2016 Figueres 59 (2)
Managerial career
2014–2016 Figueres (youth)
2016–2018 Figueres
2018–2019 Peralada
2022 Huddersfield Town (interim)
2023 Huddersfield Town (interim)
2024– Stoke City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Narcís Pèlach Nadal (born 5 September 1988), sometimes known as Chicho, is a Spanish football coach and former player who is the head coach of EFL Championship club Stoke City.

Playing career

Pèlach was born in Girona, Catalonia, and joined the youth categories of hometown club Girona at the age of five.[2] He left the side in August 2007, and signed for Tercera División newcomers Cassà.[3][4]

On 24 June 2010, after Cassá's relegation, Pèlach moved to fellow fourth tier side Manlleu.[5] He joined Palamós in the Primera Catalana in July of the following year,[6] and helped in their promotion back to the fourth division in his first season.

On 29 May 2014, Pèlach and teammate Ritxi signed for Figueres still in the fourth level.[7] He retired in May 2016, aged just 27.[8]

Coaching career

Immediately after joining Figueres, Pèlach started working as a coach of their Juvenil B team, being named in charge of the Juvenil A side on 28 July 2015.[9] On 17 May 2016, after retiring, he was presented as manager of the first team.[8]

On 4 January 2018, Pèlach was presented as Peralada-Girona B manager, with the farm team of Girona, playing in Segunda División B.[10] On 6 June 2018, after leading the side to a ninth place finish, he renewed his contract until 2020.[11]

In June 2019, after Peralada's relegation and their affiliation with Girona ended, Pèlach was named Juan Carlos Unzué's assistant at Girona's first team.[12] In October, after Unzué was sacked and José Luis Martí was named the new manager, he and fellow assistant Juan Carlos Moreno were fired from the club.[13]

On 24 July 2020, Pèlach moved abroad for the first time in his career and joined Carlos Corberán's staff at English club Huddersfield Town.[14] He was appointed interim head coach in September 2022,[15] winning his only game in charge, before Mark Fotheringham took over.[16] Pèlach was again named interim manager of Huddersfield in February 2023, replacing Fotheringham.[17][18] His spell lasted six days, as the club appointed Neil Warnock.[19]

In May 2023, Pèlach joined Norwich City as a first-team coach.[20]

In September 2024, Pèlach was linked in the media to the vacant Stoke City manager job,[21][22] and was announced as Stoke's new head coach on 18 September 2024, signing a three-year contract.[23]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 14 December 2024[24]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Huddersfield Town (caretaker) 10 February 2023 13 February 2023 2 1 0 1 050.00
Stoke City 18 September 2024 present 17 3 7 7 017.65
Total 19 4 7 8 021.05

References

  1. ^ Narcís Pèlach manager profile at BDFutbol. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  2. ^ "ENTREVISTA – Narcís Pèlach "Chicho" (1)" [INTERVIEW – Narcís Pèlach "Chicho" (1)] (in Catalan). En Ratxa. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Chicho jugarà al Cassà de Robert Vila" [Chicho will play at Robert Vila's Cassà] (in Catalan). Diari de Girona. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Chicho (Cassà): "Estem molt tranquils, hi ha prou equip per salvar la categoria"" [Chicho (Cassà): "Stay calm, there is enough team to save the category"] (in Catalan). El Punt Avui. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Chicho deixa el Cassà i fitxa pel Manlleu de Francesc Cargol" [Chicho leaves Cassà and signs for Francesc Cargol's Manlleu] (in Catalan). Empordà. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Chicho, garantia de regularitat a la defensa del Palamós CF" [Chicho, a consistency assurance in the defense of Palamós CF.] (in Catalan). Ràdio Palamós. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Chicho i Ritxi, del Palamós, també fitxen pel Figueres" [Chicho and Ritxi, from Palamós, also sign for Figueres] (in Catalan). Empordà. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  8. ^ a b "El Figueres presenta Chicho Pèlach com a nou tècnic" [Figueres present Chicho Pèlach as new manager] (in Catalan). La Xarxa. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Chicho entrenarà el juvenil A del Figueres el pròxim curs" [Chicho will manage the juvenil A of Figueres the following season] (in Catalan). Empordà. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Chicho, presentat a Peralada: "Si no ho hagués acceptat, no m'ho hauria perdonat mai"" [Chicho, presented at Peralada: "If I did not have accepted, I would not have forgiven myself"] (in Catalan). Empordà. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Chicho Pèlach renova amb el Peralada fins al 2020" [Chicho Pèlach renews with Peralada until 2020] (in Catalan). L'Esportiu. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Oficial: Unzué, nou entrenador del Girona" [Official: Unzué, new manager of Girona] (in Catalan). L'Esportiu. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Renovació total al cos tècnic" [Complete renewal in the technical staff] (in Catalan). Diari de Girona. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Chicho se'n va al Huddersfield Town" [Chicho goes to Huddersfield Town] (in Catalan). L'Esportiu. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Huudersfield Town caretaker coach Narcis Pelach demands passion in must-win 'fight game' against Cardiff City". Yorkshire Post.
  16. ^ Staffpublished, P. A. (17 September 2022). "Huddersfield interim boss Narcis Pelach lauds 'professional' Jordan Rhodes". fourfourtwo.com.
  17. ^ Jones, Oliver (8 February 2023). "Huddersfield Town manager Narcis Pelach profiled after Mark Fotheringham exit". YorkshireLive.
  18. ^ "Huddersfield sack head coach Fotheringham". BBC Sport.
  19. ^ "Neil Warnock Returns to Town as Manager!". Huddersfield Town. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Narcís Pèlach to join as first-team coach". Norwich City F.C. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  21. ^ Percy, John (16 September 2024). "Stoke set sights on Norwich coach Narcis Pelach after surprise sacking of Steven Schumacher" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  22. ^ "Pelach and Clements set for Stoke after Canaries agree compensation". The Pink Un. 17 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Stoke appoint Norwich's Pelach as new Potters boss". BBC Sport. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  24. ^ Narcís Pèlach management career statistics at Soccerbase