“`html
“This isn’t football. It’s something else and it makes my blood boil.”
Those words, uttered in 2020 by then-Barcelona manager Quique Setien regarding Getafe’s playing style, were unsurprising to their manager, Jose Bordalas.
Throughout his managerial career, he has faced accusations of promoting negativity, of being a coach whose football suffocates rather than inspires.
“Normal people don’t want to watch football like that,” Xavi Hernandez once commented after his Barcelona side were frustrated by Getafe’s intensity.
Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams has also criticized Bordalas after a heated match in Bilbao, while other managers – from Jagoba Arrasate at Osasuna to Marcelino at Villarreal – have lamented time-wasting, gamesmanship, and tactical cynicism.
However, the fact that so many high-profile figures have publicly spoken out against Bordalas is a testament to his impact. Under his leadership, Getafe has been consistently awkward, inconvenient, and impossible to ignore.
The 61-year-old Spaniard is currently in his second spell with the Madrid-based club, having returned in April 2023 after a year with Valencia, following five successful seasons in his first stint.
While complimentary remarks from the Barcelona camp will likely be scarce when they meet on Sunday, his record speaks for itself, despite the recurrent “anti-football” critiques.
Bordalas holds the third-highest number of managerial wins in Spanish football history across the top three divisions.
Moreover, he has guided Getafe to European competition despite operating with a wage bill consistently in the bottom third of La Liga and receiving relatively little squad investment, even after generating 83 million euros (£72m) in player sales.
This is not the profile of a manager simply trying to avoid relegation, but of a coach who has repeatedly achieved the seemingly impossible.
Jose Bordalas has managed Getafe for more than 300 matches across two spells
Spanish football has long been defined by a dichotomy between two extremes: the positional play and possession-based ideals originating from Johan Cruyff, and the pragmatists who prioritize structure, intensity, and tangible results.
Bordalas firmly resides in the latter camp, though his inspiration stems from the former.
The reality is that he has not had the opportunity to fully implement those ideals, as the clubs he has managed across the Spanish football pyramid have lacked the necessary players to execute such a style.
While some find his direct and uncompromising brand of football aesthetically unappealing, his players and supporters find it compelling.
Beyond the caricature, Bordalas’ methods are deeply rooted in structure and attention to detail.
Training sessions can extend to three hours, twice the typical duration. Players undergo daily weigh-ins, and those returning from holidays overweight are required to train with additional weights attached to their bodies.
He once challenged his players to kick a ball beyond a nearby Madrid motorway, offering 500 euros (£432) and a guaranteed starting position to the successful individual.
During his tenure at Alcorcon, he set a similar challenge: head the ball out of the stadium. This reinforces his core principles: effort, competitiveness, and relentless pursuit of improvement.
Players often admit to feeling overwhelmed by his demands, yet many also acknowledge experiencing the best football of their careers under his guidance.
Juan Cala, who played for Getafe from 2015 to 2018, stated, “He made me mad, like a father does… but he enabled me to experience the best moment of my career.”
Even before it became commonplace, Bordalas identified three essential elements: high pressing, organized defense, and the physical capacity for players to cover significant ground on the field.
He demands an aggressive, high press to force opponents into long balls, coupled with compact defensive lines and rapid transitions. Sterile possession is not tolerated.
The statistics support this. Getafe consistently rank among the teams that defend furthest from their own goal, catch opponents offside most frequently, and commit the most fouls.
The result? They concede the fewest shots on target. Sacrificing aesthetics becomes the price of security.
More recently, Bordalas has incorporated an AI tool into his arsenal, hoping it can provide insights into optimal team positioning with and without the ball, and how to induce errors from opponents.
Bordalas places considerable emphasis on improvisation and identifying solutions where others perceive only obstacles.
Consider the case of Christantus Uche. Signed as a midfielder from Ceuta by Getafe in the summer of 2024 for 500,000 euros (£430,000), he was repurposed as a striker to address a squad shortage.
The Nigerian scored on his debut, and after 33 games, four goals, and six assists, he was sold to Crystal Palace for £17 million as a forward.
Critics label his approach reductive, while Bordalas views it as realistic.
“I’d love to control the ball more,” he has said. “I’m a lover of good football, but you have to adapt to the players you have.”
This adaptability has enabled him to thrive in environments where others have faltered. From Hercules to Elche, Alaves to Getafe, he has consistently overachieved with squads of limited talent.
Jose Bordalas is a friend of former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane
Getafe under Bordalas is a story of consistent overachievement, yet one tinged with frustration.
On one hand, the club has not only survived but flourished, competing with Europe’s elite on a budget that should barely ensure survival.
On the other hand, the realities of La Liga necessitate constant player sales. Getafe currently have six unfilled roster spots, and not by choice, as Bordalas would prefer a deeper, more competitive squad.
At Getafe, he is revered as a leader. Fans chant his name, create banners, and embrace his philosophy of resistance.
It is not uncommon to see him having coffee with supporters in the club cafeteria – a rare sight at most other clubs.
It is widely known that he has provided, and continues to provide, financial assistance to numerous individuals, often stating that his profession is a privilege considering the hardships faced by many.
Some of his peers, such as Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, respect his methods. His closest friends in football are Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, who understand and have learned from Bordalas.
While others may dismiss him as a spoiler, even they acknowledge that preparing to face a Bordalas team guarantees 90 minutes of discomfort.
Former Sevilla boss Joaquin Caparros once described facing him as “like going to the dentist.”
Even his most ardent critics have publicly commended Bordalas for extracting extraordinary performances from a largely ordinary squad.
Bordalas’ own story mirrors that of his teams: a narrative of survival, relentless effort, and improbable ascent.
Born in Alicante as one of ten children, he spent his summers picking melons and watermelons to earn enough money for a bicycle.
He is now quick to clarify that his main role involved assisting a company in selling their products to shops.
However, football remained Bordalas’ true passion. At the age of 28, injuries brought an end to his modest playing career in the Spanish lower divisions, and he turned to coaching, initially with youth teams and then with various lower-league clubs in the Valencian region, starting with Alicante in 1994.
His managerial career spans 12 different clubs and numerous promotions and rescues.
In 2015-16, he led Alaves to promotion to the top flight, only to be dismissed at the end of the season. Months later, Getafe came calling.
He joined them in the relegation zone of the Segunda Division but ended the campaign with promotion to La Liga. Within two years, he had them competing in European football.
At Valencia, owner Peter Lim did not retain him for a second year, despite the team achieving their highest league finish in years and reaching the Copa del Rey final.
Perhaps his most famous phrase encapsulates the defiance that has characterized his career.
Before a match against Villarreal, amidst a wave of criticism regarding his style, he told reporters with a grin: “Esto es futbol, papa [This is football, dad].”
It became a meme and a symbol of his refusal to apologize for his methods. Where others perceive ugliness, he sees truth.
Spanish football often defines itself through beauty: the tiki-taka legacy of Cruyff and Pep Guardiola, the artistry of Andres Iniesta and Xavi, the elegance of possession.
But beneath that veneer lies a different reality. Football is not always beautiful. For every Barcelona, there is a Getafe.
Bordalas represents that other Spain – the combative, uncompromising football that endures through grit. He serves as a reminder that the game is expansive enough to accommodate diverse styles and that success can take many forms.
While he has never won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, or the Champions League, he is a manager who consistently achieves the ambitious goals he sets for himself and his team.
The art of the free transfer – and why Real Madrid are masters of it
From chaos to professionalism – but is La Liga being left behind?
Mbappe scores 50th Real goal – who has reached landmark faster?
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser
“`