Jesús Casas

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

Jesús Casas

Casas in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Jesús Casas García
Date of birth	(1973-10-23) 23 October 1973
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Youth career
	GE CASA
1985–1992	Cádiz
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1993	Balón de Cádiz
1993–1995	Cádiz B
1994–1995	→ Sanluqueño (loan)
1995–1996	Jerez Industrial
1996–1998	Chiclana
1998–2001	Puerto Real
2001–2002	Jerez Industrial
2002–2003	Puerto Real
Managerial career
2003–2004	Cádiz (youth)
2004–2005	Cádiz B (assistant)
2005–2007	Balón de Cádiz (youth)
2007–2008	Balón de Cádiz
2008–2009	Cádiz B
2009–2010	Rota
2010–2011	Deportes Romero
2012–2013	Conil
2013–2014	Balón de Cádiz (youth)
2018	Watford (assistant)
2018–2022	Spain (assistant)
2022–2025	Iraq
Medal record Men's football Representing Iraq (as manager) Arabian Gulf Cup Winner 2023 Iraq
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jesús Casas García (born 23 October 1973) is a Spanish football coach and former manager of the Iraq national team.

Managerial and coaching career

Early career

Casas began his coaching career at age 29 with the youth sides of Cádiz CF. He later worked as match analyst for SD Eibar and FC Barcelona B, before becoming a scout and match analyst at FC Barcelona. He then returned to Cádiz, to become a director of their youth department, and in January 2018, he became an assistant to Javi Gracia at Watford.

In summer 2018, Casas became an assistant to Luis Enrique and Robert Moreno in the Spain national team, a position he held until February 2022.

Iraq

Jesús Casas was appointed head coach of the Iraq national football team on 5 November 2022, signing a four-year contract worth $1 million per year. His appointment initially generated excitement, with many believing that his European coaching background would bring discipline, tactical organization, and a new vision to Iraqi football. Casas began his duties officially at the end of December 2022 in a friendly against Kuwait, as preparation for the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup. Iraq went on to win the Gulf Cup, defeating Oman 3–2 in the final, achieving their first title in the competition since 1988. However, while the trophy was celebrated, doubts about Casas’ methods quickly surfaced.

One of the most heavily criticized aspects of Casas’ tenure was his complete inability to maintain consistency in team selection. Throughout his time in charge, Casas never once fielded the same starting eleven in two consecutive matches, leading to a persistent lack of chemistry, understanding, and stability within the squad. His lineups constantly changed without clear justification, frustrating players, analysts, and supporters alike. Another major point of contention was his insistence on using Mustafa Saadon as the team’s first-choice right-back. Despite repeated warnings from analysts, media figures, and even internal voices within the Iraqi Football Association that Saadon was not of the required quality at the international level, Casas persisted in starting him, often at the expense of more capable options.

Casas also heavily promoted the idea of bringing in Europe-based Iraqi players to strengthen the squad, an idea that was initially welcomed by fans who hoped these players would raise the team’s technical level. However, once brought into the team, many of these Europe-based players were marginalized. A particularly controversial moment occurred during Iraq’s match against Saudi Arabia, where Casas benched several Europe-based players for the majority of the game, only introducing them for the final ten minutes when the match was already slipping away. After the defeat, Casas publicly blamed the Europe-based players for the loss, drawing widespread criticism for both his handling of the players and his attempts to shift responsibility away from himself.

In terms of tactics, Casas consistently adopted an overly cautious and defensive approach, even when facing weaker opposition. His tactical conservatism was labeled by many analysts, including Khalil Al Bulooshi, as cowardly, and it was widely believed that his style stripped Iraq of the natural aggression and spirit that had traditionally been a hallmark of the national team. Moreover, his relationship with the Iraqi media became increasingly strained. Casas often responded to criticism dismissively and was noted for carrying a large ego in public appearances. His tensions with local figures peaked when he publicly insulted former Iraqi coach Hakim Shaker, referring to him as “fat” and suggesting he “only watches TV,” comments seen as deeply disrespectful and damaging to his image in Iraq.

Despite the brief high of a famous 2–1 victory over Japan at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Iraq’s tournament ended in disappointment following a 3–2 loss to Jordan in the Round of 16. The match highlighted the recurring problems under Casas: lack of control, poor tactical adjustments, and player indiscipline. After the elimination, tensions escalated during a post-match press conference, where Casas was verbally confronted by angry journalists, leading to security intervention. Although the Iraqi Football Association and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani initially showed public support for Casas, the overall confidence in his leadership had clearly deteriorated.

The final turning point came during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. A 2–1 defeat to Palestine in March 2025 prompted an emergency meeting within the Iraqi Football Association, resulting in the unanimous decision to sack Casas and his staff. However, the controversies did not end there. After being dismissed, Casas reportedly sold several valuable gifts that had been presented to him by Iraqi fans and officials during his tenure, a move considered highly disrespectful within Iraqi culture. Additionally, he left Iraq without obtaining the proper formal clearance from the Football Association, raising further questions about his professionalism and respect for his contractual obligations

Managerial statistics

As of match played 25 March 2025

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Iraq	5 November 2022	15 April 2025	34	18	8	8	56	34	+22	052.94
Total			34	18	8	8	56	34	+22	052.94

Honours

Manager

Iraq

• Arabian Gulf Cup: 2023

External links

• Jesús Casas coach profile at National-Football-Teams.com
• Jesús Casas coach profile at Soccerway