Ex-Barcelona coach named first manager of Queensboro FC

Queensboro FC owner David Villa (left) with new manager Josep Gombau. Photo courtesy of Queensboro FC

By David Brand

A coach with ties to the legendary FC Barcelona soccer system has been named the first manager and sporting director of Queens’ brand new professional club, Queensboro FC.

Josep Gombau served as head coach of FC Barcelona’s acclaimed youth academy from 2003 to 2009 and developed the club’s international youth system. He began his coaching career in 1996 with Spanish Club Amposta, where he formerly played as goalkeeper, before moving on to scouting position with Espanyol, a team in Barcelona that competes in La Liga, Spain’s top division.

In 2015, he moved to Queens to serve as technical director of Queensboro FC owner David Villa’s DV7 Academy. 

“I have followed Josep’s career for a very long time, and had the opportunity to work with him to create the methodology of my DV7 Soccer Academies globally, as well as launch my very first academy in New York,” said Villa, a 2010 World Cup winner and legendary Spanish striker. “He is the perfect choice for Queensboro FC and I am happy to welcome him back to New York.”

In addition to coaching in Spain, Gombau managed teams in Hong Kong, Australia and India. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Australian national team. 

Gombau said he plans to introduce a swashbuckling, attacking style of play to Queensboro FC. In 2013, he imported a version of the the Barcelona and Spanish national team’s possession-oriented playing style — known as tiki-taka — to a club in Australia.

Queensboro FC will begin its inaugural United Soccer League season in 2022 after previously planning to start play in 2021. 

“New York is a very special place for me and my family,” Gombau said. “I am committed to bringing together a diverse mix of homegrown and international players, to form the first ever professional soccer team that the borough of Queens can call its own.”