1. Playing career
David Gallego's playing career spanned nearly two decades, predominantly in Spanish football's Segunda División B. He was known for his role as a midfielder, contributing to several clubs across different divisions before his retirement.
1.1. Early career
Born in Súria, Barcelona, Catalonia, Gallego began his senior career at CE Manresa. In 1991, he joined Segunda División B side CE L'Hospitalet. Over the subsequent years, he continued to play in this division, representing various clubs including AEC Manlleu, Levante UD, UE Sant Andreu, Córdoba CF, Terrassa FC, and Hércules CF. During his time with Terrassa FC, also known as Egarenses, Gallego had a particularly prolific season in the 1997-98 campaign, where he scored a career-best 19 goals.
1.2. Professional club career
In January 2001, Gallego returned to Córdoba CF, which had by then been promoted to Segunda División. He made his professional debut on January 14, starting in a goalless away draw against Albacete Balompié. Seven days later, he scored his first professional goal in a 2-0 home victory against Sporting de Gijón.
In the summer of 2002, Gallego signed with La Liga club Recreativo de Huelva. He made his debut in the top flight on September 1, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-3 home loss against Málaga CF. He played 10 games in La Liga for Recreativo.
1.3. Retirement as a player
Following Recreativo de Huelva's relegation from La Liga, Gallego returned to Terrassa FC. After suffering another relegation with Terrassa, he moved to lower leagues, playing for CF Badalona and returning to CE Manresa. He eventually retired from professional football in 2009 at the age of 37.
2. Managerial career
Gallego's managerial career began immediately after his retirement from playing, steadily progressing through various levels of Spanish football and eventually taking on an international role.
2.1. Early coaching roles
Gallego embarked on his coaching journey almost immediately after ending his playing career. On January 23, 2010, he was appointed manager of CE Sant Feliu Sasserra. In July of the same year, he returned to his former club, CE Súria, where he successfully led the team to promotion to Segona Catalana in 2013.
2.2. RCD Espanyol
On June 25, 2013, Gallego joined RCD Espanyol, taking charge of the club's youth setup, specifically the Juvenil (under-19) squad. His dedication and performance led to his promotion on June 16, 2016, when he was named manager of the reserve team in the third division.
Gallego received his first opportunity to manage the senior team on April 20, 2018, following the sacking of Quique Sánchez Flores. During this brief interim spell, he oversaw an impressive run of results. Starting with a 2-0 away victory against local rivals Girona FC just two days later, he guided the team to four wins and one draw in five fixtures, scoring ten goals while conceding only two. This period included notable victories against strong opponents like Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. On May 30, he returned to his previous role as manager of Espanyol B.
On June 6, 2019, Gallego was reappointed as the main squad manager, replacing Rubi and signing a two-year contract. However, his second stint as first-team manager was short-lived, as he was sacked on October 7, 2019, following a poor run of results.
2.3. Later club managerial roles
After his tenure at Espanyol, Gallego continued his managerial career with other professional clubs. On July 21, 2020, he was named manager of Sporting de Gijón in the Segunda División. He remained with the club until February 22, 2022, when he was dismissed after achieving only three wins in 17 matches.
On November 20, 2022, Gallego took over as manager of SD Ponferradina, also in the second tier, replacing José Gomes. His time there was brief, as he was shown the door on April 10, 2023, with the team six points deep inside the relegation zone and only seven games remaining in the season.
Gallego embarked on his first international coaching role on June 14, 2023, when he was appointed manager of Cypriot First Division club Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
3. Managerial statistics
The table below summarizes David Gallego's coaching record by team and tenure, updated as of March 10, 2024.
| Team | Nationality | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games managed | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Win % | ||||
| Sant Feliu Sasserra | Spain | January 23, 2010 | July 1, 2010 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 34 | ||
| 11.76 | |||||||||||
| CE Súria | Spain | July 1, 2010 | June 25, 2013 | 102 | 67 | 14 | 21 | 255 | 103 | 65.69 | |
| Espanyol B | Spain | June 16, 2016 | April 20, 2018 | 72 | 32 | 20 | 20 | 105 | 72 | 44.44 | |
| Espanyol | Spain | April 20, 2018 | May 30, 2018 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 80.00 | |
| Espanyol B | Spain | May 30, 2018 | June 6, 2019 | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 55 | 38 | 42.11 | |
| Espanyol | Spain | June 6, 2019 | October 7, 2019 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 19 | 43.75 | |
| Sporting Gijón | Spain | July 21, 2020 | February 22, 2022 | 77 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 76 | 66 | 40.26 | |
| Ponferradina | Spain | November 20, 2022 | April 10, 2023 | 19 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 17 | ||
| 15.79 | |||||||||||
| Anorthosis | Cyprus | June 14, 2023 | Present | 32 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 48 | 31 | 50.00 | |
| Total | 378 | 178 | 93 | 107 | 596 | 383 | - | ||||