Aitor Karanka

Aitor Karanka led Middlesbrough to promotion to the Premier League in 2016 having narrowly missed out the previous season as Boro lost the Championship play-off final. He subsequently managed Nottingham Forest before asking to be released from his contract in 2019. The following July he became head coach of Birmingham City. A Basque, Karanka played as a defender for Athletic Bilbao in two spells either side of five years at Real Madrid, with whom he played in the victorious Champions League 2000 final. He was also capped by Spain, representing La Rioja in the 1996 Olympics, and the Basque Country XI. After finishing his playing career with Colorado Rapids Karanka coached Spain’s U16 team before spending three years as Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Real Madrid during which time the club regained la Liga title.