Meet the Coach: Joaquín Rufete Anton

Starting in 2026, we will regularly introduce you to our elite soccer coaches who work for us. Today's interview features UEFA A-licensed coach Joaquín Rufete Anton .

Joaquín currently works at our Elite Soccer Camps in Austria and Germany. He also has qualifications in goalkeeper training and in coaching children with and without disabilities . From 2026, he will also take over the management of a training center in Munich.

Please introduce yourself briefly.

Hello, my name is Joaquín Rufete and I come from Alicante, Spain. I am a UEFA A-licensed coach and video analyst , certified by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

When I obtained my first coaching license, I was still playing myself in the under-19 team of a Spanish club. The deeper I immersed myself in coaching, the greater my enthusiasm and passion became for everything that makes up football and the coaching profession.

For me, coaching is not limited to what happens on the pitch. It also encompasses planning, analysis, communication, and many organizational and management-related aspects that are essential for the development of players and teams.

What was your personal journey as a football coach?

My journey in football gave me the opportunity to work as a coach at a very young age – initially as a youth coach at the same club where I also played in the first team. This early opportunity, combined with collaboration with experienced professionals and a sound theoretical and practical education through the RFEF, supplemented by continuous training, workshops and coaching conferences, has decisively shaped my development as a coach. This allowed me to gain experience in different areas of football – from youth and grassroots work to performance-oriented and competition-oriented environments at the training and elite level.

What coaching positions have you held so far?

It's been almost ten years since I first had the opportunity to coach a group of young players. Since then, I've worked at professional clubs and international academies. For three years, I was the head coach at Hércules CF in Alicante, guiding a group of players through two consecutive seasons – from their first year in the Cadete program to their promotion to the youth teams. During this time, I coached both Cadete B and Cadete A teams and simultaneously worked as a video analyst for Hércules B in the 3ª RFEF .

The following season, I became part of the coaching staff of Hércules CF's first team. That season, the club achieved promotion from the 2ª RFEF to the 1ª RFEF , the third highest division in Spain.

What fundamental attitude shapes your work as a coach?

My central guiding principle is to create a performance-oriented learning environment – with high demands, intensity, and clarity, but also with trust, communication, and mutual respect. I firmly believe in continuous improvement. Every training session is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. When players improve daily, the results will follow naturally.

My focus is always on the individual , then the player . Values such as respect, discipline, and team spirit form the basis for sustainable success in football.

What does the collaboration with the ELITE Soccer Academy mean to you – and what makes it special?

My initial contact with ELITE Soccer was entirely positive. From the first discussions and organizational details to the on-site work with the player groups, everything was extremely professional and respectful. I had the opportunity to work at various locations in Germany and Austria. The ELITE Soccer Academy stands for high-quality, intensive training in the form of soccer camps that offer players an immersive experience – with a clear focus on development and enjoyment of the game.

The day-to-day work of a club is often insufficient to systematically develop all aspects of football. This is precisely where ELITE Soccer offers its great added value: providing children and young people with additional, high-quality training opportunities and sustainably promoting their development.