Aitor Karanka · Biography

On 13 August 1997 Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Aitor Karanka de la Hoz, a centre-back at Athletic Club, and the move changed his career. Born in Vitoria on 18 September 1973, Karanka played as a central defender for Athletic, Real Madrid and Colorado Rapids. As a coach he took charge of Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City, Granada and Maccabi Tel Aviv. In July 2025 he joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation as technical director of development and of the senior men’s national team.

Academy years at Lezama

Karanka came through Athletic Club’s academy. Between 1992 and 1994 he played for Bilbao Athletic, the club’s reserve side, and during that spell he broke into the first team. He made his La Liga debut on 7 November 1993 in a 1-1 draw with Celta. A left-footed centre-back, he became a regular in the San Mamés defence over four seasons, up to 1997. His form in Bilbao drew Real Madrid’s attention.

Real Madrid (1997-2002)

Karanka spent five seasons in Madrid, competing with several other players for a place at centre-back. He was in the squad that won the European Cup three times: in 1998, when the club won its seventh title after 32 years, and again in 2000 and 2002. He also won the 2000-01 league title and the Spanish Super Cup in 1997 and 2001. He was a rotation centre-back who could be relied on when selected.

Back to Athletic and a final stop in the United States

In 2002 he returned to Athletic Club and played four more seasons there, until 2006. On 31 March that year he signed for MLS side Colorado Rapids, his last club as a player. After his time in Denver he retired and began preparing for a career in coaching.

Spain national team

Karanka won 14 caps at under-21 level and was part of the squad that finished runner-up at the 1996 European Under-21 Championship. He played once for the senior Spain national team, in a 2-0 win over Armenia on 26 April 1995.

Federation coaching and Mourinho’s Real Madrid

In 2008 he joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation as a youth coach. Two years later, in 2010, José Mourinho chose him as his assistant at Real Madrid. Karanka held the role until 2013 and in those three years often spoke to the press in place of the Portuguese manager. The coaching staff won the 2011 Copa del Rey and the 2011-12 league title. In July 2013, with Mourinho leaving the club, Karanka departed too.

Middlesbrough and other head coach roles

On 13 November 2013 he was appointed Middlesbrough manager in the English Championship. In 2015-16 the team finished second and won promotion to the Premier League. He was sacked on 16 March 2017, during his first season in the top flight. He took over at Nottingham Forest on 8 January 2018 and resigned on 11 January 2019. He was appointed by Birmingham City on 31 July 2020 and left in March 2021. On 18 April 2022 Granada hired him for the last six matches of the 2021-22 La Liga season. The team went down, but Karanka stayed on in the Spanish second division until he was dismissed on 8 November 2022. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on 4 January 2023 and left by mutual consent on 25 June 2023.

Return to the federation

From 2020 he worked as a UEFA technical observer. On 8 July 2025 the Spanish federation named him technical director of development and of the senior men’s team, reporting directly to head coach Luis de la Fuente.