Javier Rabanal

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rabanal and the second or maternal family name is Hernández.

Javier Rabanal Hernández (born 19 April 1979) is a Spanish football manager, currently in charge of Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

Javier Rabanal

Personal information
Full name	Javier Rabanal Hernández
Date of birth	(1979-04-19) 19 April 1979 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth	La Laguna, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Team information
Current team	Independiente del Valle (manager)
Youth career
Years	Team
	Maspalomas
	Regla
Managerial career
1998–1999	Regla (women)
1999–2000	Regla (youth)
2000–2002	San Gerardo (youth)
2002–2003	Laguna (youth)
2003–2004	Esperanza (youth)
2004–2005	Atlético Pinar (assistant)
2005–2007	Candela (assistant)
2008–2009	Las Zocas (assistant)
2009	Los Llanos de Aridane (assistant)
2010–2011	Atlético Victoria [es] (assistant)
2011–2012	Atlético Restinga
2012–2014	Laguna (youth)
2014–2016	Esperanza
2018–2020	Willem II U21
2018–2019	Willem II U19
2022–2023	PSV Eindhoven (assistant)
2024	Independiente Juniors
2025–	Independiente del Valle

Career

Born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Rabanal played for CD Maspalomas and CF Regla as a youth before switching to managerial roles in 1998, after taking over the latter's women's team.^[1] He would later work at local sides San Gerardo CF, CD Laguna de Tenerife, UD Esperanza, Atlético Pinar CF, CD Candela, UD Las Zocas, UD Los Llanos de Aridane and CA Victoria [es], either as a youth manager or as an assistant.^[2]

Rabanal's first managerial experience occurred in 2011, after taking over Atlético Restinga in the Primera Interinsular Tenerife.^[3] After avoiding relegation with the side, he returned to Laguna in the following year, after being appointed manager of the Juvenil squad in the División de Honor Juvenil.

In 2014, Rabanal returned to Esperanza, with the club now named CD Zamorano Esperanza, as their first team manager also in the sixth tier. He led the side to a promotion in his first year,^[1] and left in 2016 to work in Canada and China, at Futuro Soccer Academy and Leyi Academy, respectively.^[4]

In 2018, Rabanal moved to the Netherlands to join Willem II; initially as an under-19 manager, he also managed the reserve team in the Beloften Eredivisie.^[5] On 10 February 2022, he agreed to join PSV Eindhoven for the upcoming season, as an assistant of Ruud van Nistelrooy at Jong PSV;^[5] Willem II announced the move on 3 March.^[6]

On 30 March 2022, however, PSV announced that van Nistelrooy would become the manager of the first team for the 2022–23 season, with Rabanal as his assistant.^[7] He left after van Nistelrooy resigned, and moved to Ecuador on 15 January 2024, to take over Independiente del Valle's reserve side Independiente Juniors in the Serie B.^[8]

Rabanal led Independiente Juniors to a fourth position in the 2024 Serie B, before being appointed at the helm of the first team on 21 December.^[9]

Managerial statistics

As of 2 August 2025

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat.	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Independiente del Valle		21 December 2024	present	31	17	10	4	56	31	+25	054.84
Career total				31	17	10	4	56	31	+25	054.84