‘King Carlos’ Corberan has led West Brom to three games from Premier League without spending a penny
West Bromwich Albion fans call him “King Carlos” and, ahead of the Championship play-offs, he remains their greatest weapon in the quest for promotion.
Carlos Corberán is the meticulous tactician who has performed one of the most underrated jobs outside the Premier League this season, during a period of huge turmoil off the field.
When the nominees for the Championship manager of the season were revealed, he was not among the list which included Kieran McKenna, Daniel Farke and Liam Rosenior (the latter was surprisingly sacked by Hull City on Tuesday).
There were other notable absentees including Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Röhl and Marti Cifuentes at Queens Park Rangers, yet Corberán’s achievements also demand closer inspection.
His first achievement was navigating Albion through the storm under former owner Guochuan Lai and now towards a bright future with Shilen Patel.
Corberán did not allow the off-field matters to infiltrate the training base and, as the cash continued to run out, ensured that the players were fully focused on football.
He now has a close relationship with Patel, the new owner who will be in attendance at the Hawthorns this weekend.
The pair are already planning for next season, with a Plan A and Plan B under discussion.
To put Corberán’s work into further context, he is one of only two Championship managers not to spend a penny on transfers this season.
Indeed, the coach from the Valencian community of Cheste has not paid out for any players since his appointment in October 2022.
With the parachute payments from West Brom’s relegation in 2021 expiring last summer, Corberán’s options have been restricted.
Some of the high earners from the Premier League have remained on the books, further tightening the purse strings, so Corberán has had to maximise everything from the players available.
While his work in the transfer market has been limited, there have been success stories.
Take winger Mikey Johnston, for example. Out of the picture at Celtic, he has performed brilliantly since signing on loan with seven goals and one assist.
Corberán first spotted Johnston during a friendly for the Republic of Ireland, alongside Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby.
He was then flagged to the recruitment team and eventually signed in January when Brighton decided to end winger Jeremy Sarmiento’s loan deal.
There is no question that West Brom will be perfectly prepared for the semi-final showdown with Southampton.
A disciple of former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, Corberán’s game is based on explosive high intensity and the intention to always out-run the opposition.
There is likely to be a message of ‘good luck’ from his mentor before the first leg against Saints on Sunday.
“Working with him was a privilege and the experience helped me develop as a coach,” says Corberán.
“Before I worked with him I thought I was ready to be a head coach, but I learned amazing things, in every area. The fact I can keep this relationship now is a privilege.”
Corberán’s methods demand total engagement from his players. Training sessions are long and detailed.
Meetings are very frequent. Before matches, every player is called into Corberán’s office for an individual 15-minute debrief.
Telegraph Sport were fortunate to witness Corberán and his coaching staff up close during a training session in November, and it was absorbing to watch.
It is clear that this famous old club has gotten under Corberán’s skin. Before that training session, he made it clear that he did not want the article to read like a ‘CV piece’ as an advert to other clubs.
He lives in Birmingham’s city centre and there was recently a new addition to the family in son Dario.
Now, after a tough 46-game season, comes the roller-coaster of the play-offs.
Corberán does have past experience with Huddersfield, and those memories will not be fond ones.
After guiding the club to a Wembley final in 2022, his team lost against Nottingham Forest in a game littered with controversial VAR decisions.
Southampton stand in West Brom’s way to the national stadium. They have lost both league games against Russell Martin’s side this season, with the 2-1 defeat at St Mary’s on Nov 11 a particular frustration.
Yet with Corberán around, there is always hope. Albion fans will hope to hail their king after the Wembley final on May 26.
