Top five best foreign head coaches of Mohun Bagan

Mohun Bagan have won two ISL Shields and two ISL trophies so far.

Mohun Bagan have confirmed the appointment of Sergio Lobera as their new head coach ahead of the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign. The decorated Spanish gaffer, who has enjoyed prolific spells with FC Goa and Mumbai City FC in the past, is set to take the helm of the club following the departure of Jose Molina.

The appointment of Lobera marks the arrival of the 9th foreign head coach at Mohun Bagan since the turn of the 21st century. Over the last decade or so, the Mariners have shown faith in appointing foreign coaches to guide them to success.

Some of those coaches have actually worked out really well, guiding the Kolkata giants to memorable trophy wins and helping them dominate Indian football. With Lobera becoming the latest foreign coach to take up the role at Mohun Bagan, we look at the five best head coaches in Mohun Bagan’s history.

5. Juan Ferrando

Juan Ferrando became the second head coach to take charge of Mohun Bagan after joining the Indian Super League (ISL). He took charge in late 2021.

He remained in the position for well over two years, with the Mariners going through some real ups and downs under Ferrando. The Spanish gaffer was able to guide Mohun Bagan to win their first Indian Super League title in 2022-23, after defeating Bengaluru FC in the final.

He also helped them win the 2023 Durand Cup, famously defeating East Bengal in the final, and the Mariners played some entertaining football under Ferrando – scoring 134 goals in 77 games.

The likes of Dimitrios Petratos and Roy Krishna particularly shone under Ferrando, who created a solid squad that would benefit Mohun Bagan for many years to come.

4. Karim Bencharifa

Karim Bencharifa remains a popular name among Mohun Bagan fans, as he enjoyed two different stints at the club. The Moroccan gaffer’s best period with the Mariners was in his first, which was from July 2008 to February 2010.

During this period, Bencharifa ensured that the Mariners played some lovely attacking football and took the fight to their opponents. Bencharifa helped Mohun Bagan win the 2008 Federation Cup, defeating Dempo in the final thanks to Jose Barreto’s goal.

The Mariners would also go on to win the 2008-09 Calcutta Football League title under the Moroccan gaffer, while Mohun Bagan finished second in the I-League that season as well.

Bencharifa’s second stint with the Mariners, from 2012 to 2014, was less impressive as they won just 17 of their 48 games, but his outstanding work in the initial stint helped keep him in high regard.

3. Kibu Vicuna

After a drought period of a few years, it was Kibu Vicuna to usher in a new era for Mohun Bagan after arriving at the club in 2019. He was brought on board to help them compete at the top of the I-League and did so absolutely fabulously.

Vicuna would go on to help the Mariners win the 2019-20 I-League campaign, with the Kolkata giants playing some highly entertaining football under him. Vicuna guided the Mariners to 16 wins from 21 games, maintaining a 76.19% win rate to help them win their second I-League title.

Unfortunately, Vicuna did not get to manage Mohun Bagan for a second season as his contract was not extended following their promotion to the ISL.

Despite this, Vicuna remains a favourite among Mohun Bagan fans, as he has embraced the club’s culture and the kind of entertaining football he has promoted during his short stint with the club.

2. Antonio Habas

Antonio Habas was actually Mohun Bagan’s first head coach after their introduction into the ISL, and he arguably ranks as one of their best foreign managers of all time. Habas took up the Mariners’ head coach role for the 2020-21 ISL campaign, during which he guided them to an entertaining season.

However, the Mariners came up narrowly behind Mumbai City in the ISL title race, losing out on both the league stages and the ISL title.

Habas was sacked midway through the 2021-22 campaign because of a shaky start, but he was called back in January 2024 for the second half of the 2023-24 season.

Habas sparked an impressive turnaround for the Mariners, guiding them to the 2023-24 ISL league shield title – the first time they ever won that title. The gaffer led Mohun Bagan to 25 wins in 45 matches in his two stints, helping them dominate the ISL.

1. Jose Molina

Even though he might have left the club on a bitter note, there is little debating about the kind of impact Jose Molina made in his stint as Mohun Bagan head coach. After a prolific stint as the coach of Atletico de Kolkata in the early seasons of the ISL, Molina returned to Indian football with the Mariners to replace Antonio Habas.

It took Molina some time to adapt his tactics to the Mohun Bagan players, but they never looked back once able to hit stride under the gaffer. Molina guided Mohun Bagan to a historic ISL campaign in the 2024-25 season, where they became the first ISL team ever to retain the league shield.

Not just that, but the Mariners kept the most number of clean sheets in a single ISL campaign and picked up the most points in a single ISL league stages season, thanks to Molina’s expert player selection and getting the best out of them.

Along with the ISL league shield and title success, they also won the 2025 IFA Shield under Molina by defeating East Bengal in the final. In his stint as Mohun Bagan coach, Molina guided them to 28 wins in 42 games and went back with many positive memories.

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