Diego Merino Rivera (born 19 June 1988) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Career Born in Mérida, Extremadura, Merino was a Mérida UD youth graduate, and represented CD Miajadas and CD Valdelacalzada as a senior before retiring at the age of 21 due to a knee injury. He then started his managerial career at the helm of EF Emérita Augusta, before returning to Valdelacalzada to take over their first team in Tercera División in 2011.
In 2012, after avoiding relegation with the club, Merino moved to Rayo Vallecano as manager of the Juvenil B team. On 21 July 2015, after two years in charge of the Juvenil A squad, he was named manager of the reserves.
On 7 June 2016, Merino left Rayo to take over Segunda División B side Extremadura UD. On 11 October, after only two wins in ten matches, he was sacked.
On 13 July 2017, Merino was appointed manager of Atlético Astorga FC in the fourth tier. He took over fellow league team Moralo CP on 29 May of the following year, leaving the latter on 21 June 2019 after missing out promotion in the play-offs.
On 9 October 2019, Merino returned to the third level after being named Mérida AD manager. He was dismissed the following 23 February, and spent nearly a year unemployed before being appointed at the helm of CD Toledo on 5 February 2021.
Merino led Toledo to a promotion to Segunda División RFEF in his first season, but was relieved from his duties on 28 October 2021. After more than a year without a club, he was appointed CD Coria manager on 21 March 2023.
Merino left Coria after their relegation to Tercera Federación, and moved abroad for the first time in his career on 22 November 2023, after taking over Venezuelan Primera División side Carabobo FC. He led the latter to the 2024 Apertura title, and subsequently finished as season runners-up and qualified for the 2025 Copa Libertadores.
Merino left Carabobo on 30 May 2025, and was appointed as manager of Colombian club La Equidad four days later. He left La Equidad on a mutual agreement on 8 October 2025, with the team having won only two out of 14 matches in the 2025 Finalización tournament.
Managerial statistics
+ Managerial record by team and tenure TeamNatFromToRecord Emérita Augusta 1 July 200920 May 2011Valdelacalzada20 May 201130 June 2012Rayo Vallecano B21 July 20157 June 2016Extremadura7 June 201611 October 2016Atlético Astorga13 July 201729 May 2018Moralo29 May 201821 June 2019Mérida AD8 October 201923 February 2020Toledo5 February 202128 October 2021Coria21 March 202322 June 2023Carabobo22 November 202330 May 2025La Equidad4 June 20258 October 2025Total —
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