Former West Brom Manager Pepe Mel Suffers Stroke, Undergoes Surgery

Former West Bromwich Albion manager, Pepe Mel, had emergency surgery after suffering a stroke in Seville, Spain.

The 63-year-old coach is now getting treatment in the intensive care unit at Hospital Virgen del Rocío. This happened on Sunday, November 1.

Sources from his former club, Real Betis, confirmed that the operation was successful. He is still in the hospital and waiting for more assessments.

Spanish newspaper AS reported that this information came from sources at the La Liga club on Monday.

Mel is currently without a job. He last worked as a manager for Moroccan team Ittihad Tanger, leaving that role in March 2026.

Many clubs he managed before have shown their support and wished him a quick recovery. Real Betis, where Mel had two separate terms as manager, was one of the clubs that sent encouraging messages.

The club also took charge of sharing updates about his health at the request of his family. Former club UD Las Palmas said, "From UD Las Palmas, we want to send all our encouragement and affection to Pepe Mel, following the stroke he suffered, for which he underwent surgery."

Rayo Vallecano also showed its support, saying, "We want to convey all our support and affection to Pepe Mel, following the stroke he suffered, for which he had to undergo surgery. We wish him a speedy and complete recovery."

Mel has managed several clubs during his coaching career. These include Real Betis, West Bromwich Albion, Deportivo La Coruña, UD Las Palmas, Málaga, Almería, and Tenerife.

His time at Real Betis was especially notable. He led the club to promotion to Spain’s top league on two occasions.

He also managed West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League in 2014, where he recorded three wins in 17 matches during his four-month stay.