Ulaanbaatar City Manager Manuel Retamero Takes Offseason Position in Spain

Update: it has been revealed that Retamero will return to Ulaanbaatar City for the 2018 season. He will manage Victoria FC only during the Mongolian offseason.

Manuel Retamero Fraile has been announced as the new head coach of CD Victoria CF in his native Spain, likely ending his tenure as manager of Ulaanbaatar City FC.

CD Victoria CF hails from Valladolid and currently plays in the Spanish Liga Nacional Juvenil de Fútbol, the second division for teams of players under the age of 18.

Retamero is no stranger to football in Valladolid as it is his hometown; he played there during his career; and coached the B team of Real Valladolid from 2010 to 2011. This is his first coaching position in Spain since that tenure.

Retamero signed for Ulaanbaatar City FC in December 2017 after several other stops in Asia including India and Bahrain.

During his one season at Ulaanbaatar City FC, the club compiled a 12W 2D 4L record, earning second place in the league. The team also eliminated Erchim FC, reigning back-to-back league champions at the time, in the semi-finals of the MFF Cup before defeating FC Ulaanbaatar in the finals to win the club's first major trophy in its brief history. Following the season, Retamero was nominated for Men's Coach of the Year at the MFF's Golden Ball Awards in December but ultimately missed out to Erchim FC's Zorigt Battulga.

It is unclear at this time who will replace Retamero for the 2018 season. It is rumored that club owner Dashnyam Ganzorig is a fan of Real Madrid C.F. and therefore prefers Spanish coaches. The pattern held true as Retamero replaced his compatriot Rodrigo Hernando who was the team's coach in its inaugural season before returning to Iberia to be an assistant at Portugal's G.D. Estoril Praia.