Kerala's Jithin Janardhanan appointed assistant coach of Spanish side Rayo Vallecano's reserve team

A 27-year-old Malayali has worked his way into the coaching setup of a Spanish top-flight club. Jithin Janardhanan, a native of Kannur, has been appointed as one of the assistant coach of LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano's reserve team playing in tercera federacion.

His appointment comes after his three-year stint at Spanish third-division side AD Alcorcon ended in August. He was the assistant coach of AD Alcorcon B, the reserve side of the club.

"As someone who is one step closer to chasing my dream, I feel incredibly grateful and excited to be breaking out of my comfort zone and joining a new project," Jithin told Onmanorama about his new role.

And Jithin is no stranger to taking on new challenges. A Kannur native raised in the UAE, his transition from a player to a coach followed a series of setbacks. He started out as a footballer before recurring injuries forced him to step away from the game at the competitive level.

He moved to Spain to pursue a master's in Football Coaching and Management from Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid, also known as the Real Madrid Graduate School because of its connection with the famous football club. Jithin says he attended practical sessions led by Alvaro Arbeloa, the former head coach of Real Madrid.

He later transitioned to AD Alcorcon, where he learned the nuances of professional coaching. He gradually rose from assistant manager of the C team to assistant coach of the B team, according to Transfermarkt.

Earlier, he said that leaving Alcorcon was not an easy decision. "There are decisions that are never easy, but they must be made at the right time," he said in an Instagram post.

Now, in his new role, Jithin faces fresh challenges as part of the coaching setup of a club competing in LaLiga, one of the world's toughest and most prestigious football leagues.