Inter Kashi appoint former Mohun Bagan boss Antonio Lopez Habas as new head coach

Antonio Lopez Habas has a rich history of working in the Indian football circuit

I-League club Inter Kashi have appointed former Mohun Bagan Super Giant boss Antonio Lopez Habas as their head coach for the upcoming season. The club announced the Spaniard appointment on their social media. Antonio Habas has won the Indian Super League (ISL) with Atletico de Kolkata and ATK and is one of ISL’s most successful football coaches.

Habas last season helped the Mariners to win the ISL league shield for the first time but unfortunately, he was not able to win the ISL final. Even though many sources said that he was also one of the favourite candidates to become the head coach of Blue Tigers, but later on, Manolo Marquez was appointed as the new head coach.

काशी, अब चारों ओर मचा दो शोर! 📢#HabasCoach 🔥#HarHarKashi #InterKashi #indianfootball pic.twitter.com/WzjewhGVi7

— Inter Kashi (@InterKashi) July 25, 2024

Managerial career

Habas has a vast amount of experience as a manager, as he has managed the national team as well as various clubs. He became the assistant coach of the Bolivia National team and then later on became the head coach of the Bolivia team.

Earlier in his career he was not able to deliver the results to his team which also led to short stints of coaching. He has managed big teams like Sporting Gijon, Valencia and Celta Vigo as a head coach. He worked in South America, Spain, South Africa, Thailand and in India.

As a player, he played as a centre-back for big clubs like Sevilla and Atletico Madrid. He also worked under some top-quality managers such as Xabier Azkargorta, Rafael Benitez and Hristo Stoichkov. His playing style is keeping the team structure intact and playing the fast counter-attacking game.

Experience in India

In 2014 Habas was named the head coach of ATK in ISL, in the inaugural season only he helped the team to clinch the title. In the final ATK defeated Kerala Blasters by the scoreline of 1-0. After that, he joined Pune City FC in 2016 but due to some management issues, he left his position as the head coach.

Once again, in 2019 he was appointed as the head coach of ATK and helped the team to win the title when the final was held behind closed doors.

In 2020 he signed with ATK Mohun Bagan, but this time he failed to win the trophy as Mumbai City FC won the final by 2-1, he was sacked in 2021 after a run of poor results. Habas once again returned to Kolkata in 2023, this time as the Technical Director and then as the head coach of Mohun Bagan Super Giant after the sacking of Juan Ferrando in 2024. He completely turned around the team and led the team to its first ISL Shield.

Antonio López Habas’ Statement

“I am excited to join Inter Kashi and embark on this ambitious journey. The potential in Uttar Pradesh is immense, and I am committed to building a robust football ecosystem in the State. Our main target for the coming season remains promotion to ISL because once the Club competes at the highest level of Indian Football, an ecosystem for the sport will also be organically created,” said Antonio López Habas.

“I also look forward to working with Inter Escaldes, as we aim to create opportunities for Indian players in Europe and achieve significant milestones in both Indian and European football,” he added.

Club Chairman’s Statement

Mr. Vinod Dugar, Founder and Chairman of Inter Kashi, expressed his enthusiasm about the new appointment. “We are delighted to welcome Antonio to Inter Kashi. His track record and experience speaks volumes and we believe he is the perfect fit to lead our Club towards achieving our ambitious goals. This appointment marks a significant milestone in our journey to establish a premier footballing institution in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Our Coach’s vision aligns perfectly with ours, and we are confident that together we will create a thriving football ecosystem that will benefit not only our Club but also Indian Football as a whole.”

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