Borja Jiménez is CD Leganés coach
Borja Jiménez is a young Spanish coach who, at the age of 38, can already boast of having achieved something historic: two promotions to the Spanish second division in just one year. He achieved it with Mirandés and Cartagena between 2018 and 2019, a milestone he almost reached in 2022 with Deportivo de La Coruña, but a goal eight minutes from the end deprived the Galician team from promotion.
Despite his age, Borja Jiménez already has good experience on the bench: at the age of 26 he was already coach of the first team at his home club Real Ávila, as well as being in charge of their youth academy. He had been brought there by José Luis Diezma, who had been impressed by Borja’s skill and ability at the Milan Academy. An unstoppable passion for football and for learning its mechanisms had led him to embark on a promising coaching career at a very early age.
At home, Borja showed a quick ability to adapt to circumstances and bring out the best of a team: with the club in receivership, Real Ávila qualified for the play-offs, where they lost to Mérida. The following year, Real Valladolid knocked on his door to take charge of the cadet team and collaborate in the technical department. In a few months he was promoted to the reserve team, with which he achieved the best position in the second half of the season and helped to develop players who would go on to nurture the first team.
In the summer of 2016 he was given the opportunity to coach Izarra in Segunda B. It was a very interesting experience for Borja Jiménez, managing an entirely Navarrese squad and achieving the objective of avoiding relegation with two games to spare. A year later, a new challenge got on his way: Rápido de Bouzas. A newly promoted club with whom Borja had a historic campaign, qualifying for the Cup and fighting for the play-offs until the last matchday. Beyond results, the man from Avila is perfecting his methods and style. “Playing good football means knowing what you’re playing for”.
The opportunity for promotion came in 2018, in his first season in charge of a Mirándés team that also won the Federation Cup. This outstanding performance led to the opportunity to move abroad. It was Greek side Asteras Tripolis that offered him his first experience outside Spain. After a cup tie, the Greek adventure came to an end, but Borja Jiménez and his team did not even have time to return to Spain when they received a call from Cartagena with the dream of returning to the second division.
The man from Avila lands on Cartagena, with whom he wins promotion in July 2020 after beating Atlético Baleares. The second in just one year with two different clubs. However, in December of that year Borja must leave the relegation places. For a man as passionate about his profession as he is, it is fortunate that he will be back in coaching at the beginning of 2021. Deportivo de La Coruña is a gigantic challenge that Borja Jiménez handles with firmness; however, 8 fateful minutes prevent the Blue and Whites from being promoted and the man from Avila leaves the Deportivo bench as the coach with the best points per game percentage of the last 25 years.
In june 2023 Borja began a new and challenging stage in his career signing with CD Leganés in Segunda división.
Trajectory
- 2015-16: Real Valladolid B (Segunda B)
- 2016-17: CD Izarra (Segunda B).
- 2017-18: Rápido de Bouzas (Segunda B). 5th place, best placement in the history of the club.
- 2018-19: CD Mirandés (Segunda B). Promotion to Segunda división; Copa Federación champions.
- 2019-20: Asteras Trípolis (Greek Superleague).
- 2019-20 y 2020-21: FC Cartagena (Segunda B and Segunda división). Promotion to Segunda división.
- 2021-22: RC Deportivo (Primera RFEF). Coach with the best winning percentage in the last 25 years.
- 2023-today. CD Leganés (Segunda División).
