Raúl Agné · Biography

On 11 June 2022, at Balaídos in Vigo, Raül Agné Montull's Gimnàstic de Tarragona lost the play-off final for promotion to the Spanish second division 2-0 to Villarreal B. It was the biggest game of his later coaching years, after almost two decades in charge of sides in the Spanish fourth, third and second tiers. Agné was born on 24 May 1970 in Mequinenza, in the province of Zaragoza. He was a centre-back before moving into coaching, and his clubs as a coach include Girona, Cádiz, Tenerife and Real Zaragoza.

Mequinenza and the Zaragoza academy

He came through at his hometown club, CD Mequinenza, and then in the Real Zaragoza youth system. In 1990 he joined Zaragoza's reserve side, Deportivo Aragón, where he spent several seasons. He then played for UD Casetas, also in Aragon, before his career moved to Catalonia, where he played most of his senior football.

A centre-back in Catalan football

He signed for Girona in 1993 and stayed for two seasons. From 1995 to 1998 he played for UE Figueres, and in 1998 he moved back to Aragon with CD Binéfar, where he also coached youth teams. He later played for Palamós CF and ended his career at Girona, where he spent the 2002-03 season. He never played above the Segunda División B, the Spanish third tier.

First coaching jobs and promotion with Girona

He began coaching in 2004 at CF Peralada, in the Tercera División, and stayed for two seasons. In 2006-07 he took charge of Palamós, also in the fourth tier. In the summer of 2007 he was hired by Girona, then in Segunda B. In 2007-08 the team won Group III of the Segunda División B and went up to the second division after beating Barakaldo and Ceuta in the play-offs. Girona sacked him on 18 May 2009, with five rounds left and the team close to the relegation places.

Huelva, a return to Girona and Cádiz

In December 2009 he took over Recreativo de Huelva in the second division and kept them up. He left in June 2010 for personal reasons. In July 2010 he returned to Girona, finished eleventh in 2010-11 and was dismissed on 15 January 2012 with the side second from bottom. On 10 December 2012 he was appointed by Cádiz CF, then in Segunda B, and stayed through the following season until he was let go on 18 March 2014.

Tenerife, Zaragoza and China

On 3 February 2015 he replaced Álvaro Cervera at CD Tenerife, eighteenth in the second division, and avoided relegation. He signed a new deal but was sacked on 3 November 2015 after a poor start to the league. On 25 October 2016 he arrived at Real Zaragoza, the club where he had been trained, to succeed Luis Milla with the team fifteenth in the second division. He led them in 19 matches, with six wins, four draws and nine defeats, and on 19 March 2017 César Láinez took over. In December 2017 he moved to China to coach Nei Mongol Zhongyou in the second tier, with Arnau Sala as his assistant. He left in August 2018 after 18 games.

Córdoba and Gimnàstic

On 23 October 2019 he took charge of Córdoba CF in Segunda B, until his dismissal on 10 March 2020; Juan Sabas replaced him. On 28 May 2021 Gimnàstic de Tarragona named him coach for the 2021-22 Primera RFEF season. That year the team reached the play-off final, losing 2-0 to Villarreal B in Vigo. Gimnàstic dismissed him on 15 January 2023, after two straight league defeats, with a record of 63 matches: 26 wins, 19 draws and 18 losses.