Antony Chawagarira
THE Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has appointed Spanish coach Ramón Catalá as the substantive Warriors head coach, bringing an experienced international football technician to the helm of the senior national team.
Catalá replaces Kaitano Tembo, whose interim mandate has ended following the appointment of the Spaniard, with Tembo now redeployed to coach the national Under-20 side.
The 65-year-old Catalá, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence, has a career spanning more than three decades and has worked in different technical and developmental capacities across Europe, Asia and Africa.
According to football database Transfermarkt, Catalá is currently listed as assistant manager at Qatari club Al-Sailiya, having been appointed to the position in July 2025.
He previously served as technical director of the Libya national team from 2021 to 2022 and was academy manager at Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv’s Under-19 side between 2019 and 2021.
His career has also taken him to Japan, where he worked as fitness coach at JEF United Chiba, while he spent several years in Qatar with Al-Rayyan as a fitness coach.
Catalá’s European experience includes a lengthy spell at Spanish side Espanyol, where he worked as a fitness coach between 2004 and 2011.
During his time at Espanyol, he worked under a number of prominent coaches, including Mauricio Pochettino and Ernesto Valverde.
He also previously held fitness coaching roles at Real Zaragoza, Osasuna, RC Celta and UD Salamanca, among other clubs.
His extensive experience in technical, fitness and youth development roles is expected to bring a different dimension to the Warriors as Zimbabwe seeks to build a competitive national side.
Catalá’s appointment follows Marinica’s resignation in April, after which Tembo initially took over as interim coach.
Tembo, who had served as an assistant before being elevated to the top job, will now concentrate on developing Zimbabwe’s next generation of players after being appointed Under-20 coach.
His move to the junior national team also fits his recent experience at South African club Sekhukhune United, where he worked with the development team.
ZIFA’s decision to pair Catalá’s international experience with Tembo’s youth development role is expected to strengthen the pathway between the junior national teams and the Warriors.
