Top five coaches of Indian football in 2024

Several coaches have shown their caliber in talent management with Indian football clubs.

The Indian football scene had its share of dramatic moments in 2024, which ended out to be an eventful year at the domestic and national levels. Even though the Indian Football team failed to win a single match in 2024, there were some memorable moments at the domestic tournaments throughout the year.

The Kolkata giants (Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting) all enjoyed success and won trophies in 2024, with the Mariners clinching their first-ever ISL league shield. The core reason for the success of multiple Indian Super League (ISL) clubs in 2024 was the brilliant work of their coaches and their ability to get the best out of players.

Some coaches showcased their quality by guiding their teams to silverware and also sparking improvements in many players. Here we look at the top five head coaches in Indian football in 2024.

5. Sergio Lobera

Sergio Lobera has done an admirable job in making Odisha FC a prominent threat in the ISL and keeping them as firm challengers for all the competitions they compete in. He helped them reach the Super Cup final at the start of 2024, only to come up short of East Bengal. But Lobera has done well to help the Juggernauts remain among the top sides in the ISL. They finished in fourth place in the ISL league stages last season and lost to Mumbai City in the semi-finals.

The Juggernauts are also in the top four in the first half of the 2024-25 ISL campaign, recovering strongly from a shaky start. Lobera is using his experienced foreigners smartly and has also inspired a spark in form in his domestic players. Lobera also surpassed the 100-match mark in the ISL this season, becoming only the second coach to do so.

4. Carles Cuadrat

Carles Cuadrat had a dream start to the year 2024, mostly because of how well his East Bengal side performed in the 2024 Super Cup. He inspired them to defeat Mohun Bagan to move out of the group stages and produce some resilient, inspired performances at the knockout stages. East Bengal fought their way to winning the tournament after defeating Odisha FC in the final, helping Cuadrat add another Indian Football trophy to his cabinet.

Even though Cuadrat saw his East Bengal side finish the 2023-24 ISL campaign and then begin the 2024-25 season poorly, leading to his departure, he proved himself as a shrewd tactician by helping his side excel in cup competitions despite various difficulties in the squad.

3. Petr Kratky

Despite having to impromptly take charge of Mumbai City in December 2023, Petr Kratky justified the Islanders’ ownership decision to appoint him as Des Buckingham’s successor. Kratky ensured that the Islanders remained the well-oiled machine in the 2023-24 ISL campaign, competing strongly for the ISL league shield until the absolute end.

Mumbai City lost out on the shield by one point, but Kratky inspired them to fight their way to the final, where they put Mohun Bagan down to clinch the ISL title. Kratky has had trouble in the first half of the 2024-25 ISL campaign, mostly because of injuries and a host of new players failing to impress, but his heroics for the majority of 2024 cannot be undermined.

2. Juan Pedro Benali

Juan Pedro Benali has become a highly popular coach among Indian Football fans because of the way he’s helped NorthEast United punch above their weight. Despite not having the largest of budgets or spending power, the Spaniard has gotten the very best of whatever he’s got in the Highlanders squad.

Benali has promoted many quality youngsters and helped them make an impact at the top level, as well as directly impacting an improvement in the consistency and overall performances of many domestic players.

He helped NorthEast United win their first-ever piece of silverware in the 2024 Durand Cup, defeating Mohun Bagan at their yard in the process. Benali has also had them producing bright, exciting performances in the ISL and competing for the playoff spot.

1. Antonio Habas

Antonio Habas proved that age is not a factor for him by sparking a sensational turnaround in form for Mohun Bagan in the 2023-24 ISL campaign. After they fell behind Mumbai City in the league shield race, Habas fortified their shape and made many players perform way better than they were in Juan Ferrando’s system. He inspired them to a dominant run in the second half of the campaign, as Mohun Bagan ultimately piped Mumbai City to win their first-ever ISL shield title.

Habas added a third ISL crown to his record and also extended his lead as the coach with the most matches managed in the ISL.

Even though Habas was unable to help the Mariners win the ISL trophy and was surprisingly replaced soon after, he showcased how vital an experienced coach can be through his heroics with Mohun Bagan. He’s now in charge of Inter Kashi and has them established as early favorites to win the 2024-25 I-League title.

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