1. Aitor Karanka started his managerial career in the late 2000s, working as assistant manager at Real Madrid during Jose Mourinho's tenure as manager from 2010 to 2013.
21 Facts About Aitor Karanka
1. 2.
Aitor Karanka was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Middlesbrough in 2013, guiding them to promotion to the Premier League in 2016 before being dismissed the following year.
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Aitor Karanka then managed Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City in the Championship, before brief top-flight spells at Granada in Spain and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League.
4.
Aitor Karanka made his senior debut with the reserves of the latter in 1992, competing in the Segunda Division.
5.
Aitor Karanka was promoted to the main squad by Jupp Heynckes in 1993 following the departure of Rafael Alkorta.
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Aitor Karanka helped the Lions qualify for the UEFA Cup in his second year after finishing in fifth place in the league.
7.
In 2006, Aitor Karanka joined Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids in the United States.
8.
Aitor Karanka only played once for Spain at senior level, on 26 April 1995 against Armenia in Yerevan for the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers.
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Aitor Karanka made 14 appearances for the under-21s and was a member of the team that finished runners-up at the 1996 European Championship in a final lost to Italy.
10.
Aitor Karanka represented the nation in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, playing in four matches in an eventual quarter-final exit.
11.
In June 2010, Aitor Karanka was appointed assistant manager at former side Real Madrid by newly appointed manager Jose Mourinho.
12.
On 13 November 2013, Aitor Karanka was appointed manager of Championship club Middlesbrough, replacing Tony Mowbray.
13.
On 7 August 2015, Aitor Karanka signed a new four-year contract.
14.
Aitor Karanka was sacked on 16 March 2017 with the team three points from top-flight safety and without a league win in the new year.
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On 8 January 2018, Aitor Karanka returned to the Championship after being appointed as manager of Nottingham Forest.
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Aitor Karanka replaced Gary Brazil, who had been acting as caretaker manager following the dismissal of Mark Warburton on 31 December 2017, who had in turn left the side sitting 14th in the league.
17.
Aitor Karanka left the team in seventh position, four points behind the play-off places.
18.
On 31 July 2020, after 18 months away from management, Aitor Karanka was appointed head coach of EFL Championship club Birmingham City on a three-year contract.
19.
Aitor Karanka was confirmed as the club's head coach for the coming season, but was sacked on 8 November 2022, after one win in five matches.
20.
On 4 January 2023, Aitor Karanka signed an 18-month deal at Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League.
21.
In May 2021, Aitor Karanka organised an online coaching conference in association with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, under the name AK Coaches' World.