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Javier Rabanal takes on Cusco FC challenge at Peruvian heights

The Tenerife-born coach, after his stint at Universitario, will lead the imperial team in the second half of the year.

Football coach on the sidelines of a stadium in Cusco, Peru, with mountains in the background.
IA

Football coach on the sidelines of a stadium in Cusco, Peru, with mountains in the background.

Tenerife-born coach Javier Rabanal embarks on a new challenge in Peru by signing with Cusco FC, a team in the Peruvian First Division, following his recent spell at Universitario de Deportes.

The coach from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Javier Rabanal, has found a new professional destination in Peru. Just weeks after concluding his brief tenure at Universitario de Deportes, where he managed the club for 12 matches, Rabanal will continue his career in Inca lands. He has signed with Cusco FC, also in the top tier of Peruvian football, to replace the Uruguayan Alejandro Orfila.
The challenge for the Canary strategist will be to improve the team's performance in the second half of the year. Cusco FC was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores group stage as the bottom team and failed to compete for the top spots in the Apertura Tournament. Rabanal, who previously had a successful spell in Ecuador with Independiente del Valle, winning the league in 2025 and reaching the Copa Sudamericana semifinals, will now aim to relaunch the imperial squad.
Before his South American adventure, Rabanal developed his career at various clubs on the island and had formative experiences in Canada and China. His time in Dutch football, as head of methodology at Willem II and assistant to Ruud van Nistelrooy at PSV, was crucial in opening the doors to South America.
Rabanal has already led his first training session at the Oropesa complex and will debut this weekend in the Copa de la Liga. The absolute priority will be the Clausura Tournament, where the team will seek to improve its sixth-place finish in the Apertura and secure qualification for international competitions.
The club welcomed its new coach via social media: "¡Allin kachun hamusqaykimanta, Profe! We welcome Javier Rabanal, new technical director of Cusco FC. Work, conviction, and a shared goal: to keep growing together."
Cusco FC, originally founded as Real Garcilaso in 2009, is a club that has grown rapidly in Peruvian football. It was promoted to the First Division in 2011, relegated in 2021, and returned to the top flight in 2022 after winning the Liga 2. In 2020, it adopted its current name to strengthen its identity with the city and region. Known for being a difficult team to play against at the high altitude of Cusco (3,400 meters above sea level), it arrives after a notable past season, where it finished third in the Apertura and second in the Clausura.

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