Quique Sanchez Flores beats Hansi Flick and Jose Mourinho to La Liga’s August award

Quique Sanchez Flores has been named La Liga’s coach of the month for August after guiding Deportivo Alaves to an unexpected second-place start, beating Barcelona manager Hansi Flick and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho in the final vote.

The award comes despite Flick’s Barcelona collecting maximum points from their opening matches. After four rounds, Barcelona lead the table with 12 points, while Alaves sit second on 10 and Real Madrid are third on nine.

The early standings have provided an unexpected twist to the opening weeks of the season, with Alaves emerging as the leading challengers to Spain’s traditional leading clubs. Their start has suggested the title race may not be limited to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

La Liga officially confirmed Sanchez Flores as the winner after Alaves took 10 points from a possible 12 during their opening run. The club, based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, have maintained second place behind Barcelona following a sequence of impressive results.

Alaves began the season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Getafe at Mendizorroza. They then earned a 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano before ending August with a valuable 1-0 home win against Villarreal.

Those results established Alaves as more than a temporary presence near the top of the table. Their momentum continued beyond the end of August, with a 5-2 victory over Osasuna on Sunday in the fourth round of La Liga.

The emphatic win took Alaves to 10 points, leaving them two behind Barcelona. Flick’s side remain unbeaten after recording three victories and one draw.

Sanchez Flores’ success in the award vote came at the expense of two of the highest-profile names in Spanish football: Flick and Mourinho. The result recognised the work being carried out in Vitoria and underlined Alaves’ status as the early surprise package of the season.

The award announcement was accompanied by La Liga’s official social media post:

QUIQUE SANCHEZ FLORES. 🦊💙El tecnico del@Alaveses el ENTRENADOR DEL MES de agosto en#LALIGAEASPORTS. 🏆#LALIGACOACHOFTHEMONTH|#PREMIOSLALIGA➡️https://t.co/g0ixMWY9xXpic.twitter.com/K0U0Qsp920

Alaves’ strong start has added an unexpected element to the early league picture. Barcelona’s perfect opening had positioned them as clear leaders, but Alaves’ consistency has allowed them to remain within touching distance, while Real Madrid have already fallen three points behind their main rivals.

For Sanchez Flores, the recognition marks the reward for a month in which his side combined defensive resilience with a series of important results. Their 5-2 win over Osasuna ensured the club’s challenge did not fade after August and further strengthened their claim to be the genuine dark horses of this season’s La Liga race.