Rafa Márquez is back. He takes the reins and becomes Barça Atlètic coach

The Mexican legend will become a coach of a professional club for the first time in his career. The former Barcelona stopper from 2003 to 2010 is returning to his second home, where he has signed a two-year contract as reserve team coach.

FC Barcelona and Rafa Márquez have reached an agreement together. The 43-year-old former long-time Mexico international has a contract at Barça Atlético for two more seasons until 30 June 2024.

He will hit the ground running on Friday, July 15, when he takes over the team. His players will undergo a medical, while the first training session will take place the day after.

An old familiar face

Márquez arrived at Barcelona from AS Monaco before the 2003/04 season and was the first ever Mexican to play for the Catalan big club. He will also become the first foreign coach to lead the Blaugrana reserve team.

His first coach was Frank Rijkaard. Rafa gradually gained the trust of the coach until he became a stable member of the starting line-up. He made his debut on 3 September 2003 in a match against Sevilla in front of 80,000 fans at the Camp Nou. He played a total of 22 matches in his first season and helped the team qualify for the Champions League.

The following season, Márquez showed his versatility by playing in the centre of midfield after injuries to Edmilson and Motta. He handled the back four with aplomb. A year later, he formed a duo at stopper with Carles Puyol and won the Champions League trophy for the second time in the club’s history.

Injuries prevented the Mexican from developing further the following years. Yet he was always a certainty in defence. When Pep Guardiola took over Barcelona’s first team, Márquez began to play a little more.

He enjoyed the 2008/09 season with a memorable sextet and a year later he celebrated again with his team winning the league title. That was the end of his adventure in the Catalan capital. In seven years he played 242 games and scored 13 goals.

Source: FC Barcelona