Novoa (Spanish footballer)

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José Manuel Díaz Novoa, known as Novoa, is a Spanish former footballer and coach. He was born on 1 January 1944 in Gijón, Asturias, and played as a forward.

Playing career
- He began with Real Gijón (Sporting de Gijón) and made his professional debut in the 1962–63 season during the Copa del Generalísimo.
- In 1967 he moved to RC Celta de Vigo, helping them earn promotion to La Liga in 1969. He made his La Liga debut on 21 September 1969 in a 1–1 draw with Sabadell.
- He later played for Real Avilés CF (1970–1971) and retired in 1971 at the age of 27 due to a knee injury.

Coaching career
- Novoa started coaching Sporting Gijón’s B team in 1963 and went on to manage the first team in several spells: 1979–1980, 1982, and 1984–1988.
- He also managed other top division clubs, including Celta (1988–1989), Real Burgos (1990–1992), Espanyol (1992–1993), and Málaga (1996–1997).
- He returned to Sporting Gijón for a third spell in 1996–1997 and then 1997–1998.
- He later coached the Asturias regional team from 2000 to 2002 before retiring.

Overall, Novoa is the Sporting Gijón manager who led the club the most times, with 371 games (230 in La Liga).