Corral's playing career as a midfielder included 23 appearances and one goal during two La Liga seasons with Almería.
[1] Corral then joined newly promoted La Liga side Almería, and made 23 top flight appearances over the next two seasons.
[4] He was in charge for one match, which was a goalless draw against Atlético Madrid on 16 February,[5] before the arrival of new head coach Carlos Alberto Silva.
[4] Silva too was sacked in October the same year, following poor results in La Liga and elimination from the UEFA Cup at the hands of French side Auxerre.
He was replaced by Javier Irureta ahead of the following season,[8] heralding the start of the most successful period in the club's history.