Josep Gombau

Josep Gombau
Born	(1976-06-05) June 5, 1976 Amposta, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Occupation	Football coach
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Coaching roles at Kitchee, Adelaide United, Western Sydney Wanderers, Odisha FC, Persebaya Surabaya, Aston Villa U21

Josep Gombau Balague (born 5 June 1976) is a Spanish professional football coach.

He previously worked with Barcelona as a youth team coach and held various positions within the club's renowned youth academy.

Career

Originating from Amposta, Tarragona, Catalonia, Gombau initially played as a goalkeeper before transitioning into coaching at the age of 16. He began by managing youth squads at Amposta and Espanyol before joining Barcelona in 2003 to coach within their youth academy. In 2008, he was appointed technical director of FCB Escola, Barcelona’s youth football program located at Raffles International School in Jumeirah, Dubai.

Kitchee

In 2009, Gombau took the helm as head coach of Kitchee in Hong Kong. During his tenure, the club clinched two league championships, two FA Cup titles, and one League Cup. Prior to the 2012 AFC Cup away fixture against Tampines Rovers, Kitchee captain Chu Siu Kei commended Gombau’s tactical approach, emphasizing his preference for ground-based play to exploit the team’s technical abilities against physically stronger opponents.

Adelaide United

Gombau was named head coach of Adelaide United in the A-League on 30 April 2013, agreeing to a two-year contract and commencing his role in July that year. His initial recruitment included fellow Spaniards and former Barcelona youth players Sergio Cirio and Isaías Sánchez. He also brought on assistant Pau Marti to support existing assistant coach Michael Valkanis. Gombau sought to introduce a possession-oriented, tiki-taka style of play at Adelaide. Demonstrating commitment to grassroots development, he organized free coaching workshops for local South Australian coaches. Under his leadership, Adelaide United secured the first-ever FFA Cup title with a 1–0 victory over Perth Glory. Gombau left the club in July 2015 to pursue opportunities focused on youth coaching in the United States.

Australia U-23

On 28 June 2016, Gombau was appointed head coach of the Australia U-23, taking over from Aurelio Vidmar after the squad did not qualify for the Olympic Games.

Western Sydney Wanderers

Gombau assumed the role of head coach at Western Sydney Wanderers on 1 November 2017, succeeding interim coach Hayden Foxe following Tony Popovic’s departure. His contract was ended on 19 April 2018 after the team failed to reach the 2017/18 A-League Finals Series.

Delhi Dynamos / Odisha

On 2 August 2018, Gombau took over as head coach of the Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos, replacing Miguel Ángel Portugal. While the team ended the season in eighth place, failing to qualify for the playoffs, their overall performance showed progress. Prior to the 2019–20 campaign, the club relocated to Odisha and was rebranded as Odisha FC. Gombau renewed his contract and guided the squad to a sixth-place finish, narrowly missing out on postseason qualification. On 18 March 2020, he and the club mutually agreed to part ways due to personal reasons.

On 6 May 2021, Gombau joined Odisha FC’s technical committee, working alongside David Villa and Victor Oñate.

Queensboro

In July 2020, Gombau was appointed as both the inaugural head coach and sporting director for David Villa’s upcoming USL Championship franchise, Queensboro. Following two postponements of the club’s debut season and growing uncertainty regarding its future, he departed in June 2022. The club subsequently ceased operations shortly after his exit.

Return to Odisha

Gombau returned to Odisha FC as head coach on 8 June 2022, signing a two-year agreement.

Persebaya Surabaya

On 14 September 2023, Gombau was named head coach of Persebaya Surabaya, but after six matches with just one victory, he was relieved of his duties on 28 October 2023.

Aston Villa U21

On 11 January 2024, Gombau assumed the role of Head Coach for Aston Villa Under-21s. He led the team to secure their first Birmingham Senior Cup title since 1985 on 15 May 2024. On 12 June 2025, Aston Villa announced his departure, with Jimmy Shan appointed as his successor.

Personal life

Gombau and his wife Romina are parents to two daughters named Bruna and Maria.

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record								Ref
			M	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Kitchee	1 August 2009	30 April 2013
Adelaide United	1 July 2013	23 July 2015
Western Sydney Wanderers	1 November 2017	19 April 2018
Odisha	2 August 2018	18 March 2020
Queensboro	6 July 2020	7 June 2022
Odisha	8 June 2022	11 March 2023
align=left |Persebaya Surabaya	14 September 2023	28 October 2023		Total

Honours

Kitchee

• Hong Kong First Division League: 2010–11, 2011–12
• Hong Kong FA Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13
• Hong Kong League Cup: 2011–12

Adelaide United

• FFA Cup: 2014

Aston Villa U21

• Birmingham Senior Cup: 2023–24

Individual

• Hong Kong First Division League Coach of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12