If Adrián González, a 36-year-old Barcelona native who has taken over as Washington’s coach, abides by an overarching coaching mantra, it’s a thirst to understand.
Adrián González was six months into a stint coaching a Japanese youth team in 2017 when he decided it was time to trade arrogance for empathy.
Arriving from venerable Spanish club RCD Espanyol’s academy, the Barcelona native assumed he could defuse any culture shock, leave bedside manner at the door and seamlessly share his coaching acuity.