Kibu Vicuna: It's an honour to be the new head coach of Kerala Blasters

The Spaniard delivered a short message after his appointment at the helm of the Yellow Army.

Kibu Vicuna, who has replaced Eelco Schattorie as the head coach of the Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters, has opened up on his latest assignment with the Kochi-based club for the first time, via their official Twitter account.

"Hello everybody, I am Kibu Vicuna. For me, it is an honour and a privilege to be the new head coach of Kerala Blasters. We want to create a strong team, play good football and get positive results. We need all your support," he said, before adding:

"All of us, we have a big and exciting challenge. See you soon, bye for now."

Vicuna ended his first-ever managerial assignment in India in style last season, as he won the 2019-20 I-League title with Mohun Bagan. The 48-year-old was instrumental in the Mariners’ first victorious campaign in the league since the 2014-15 season.

Prior to his arrival in the country, the Spanish coach had served as the assistant to several top coaches, one of who is Jan Urban, also a former footballer for Poland. During his time in Spain, he also helped in the development of several world-class players including Raul Garcia, Cesar Azpilicueta and Nacho Monreal – and the Spanish FA has even acknowledged his talent, having certified him mainly on his tactical discipline and physical preparation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Blasters had announced that they parted ways with Eelco Schattorie after a rather mediocre 2019-20 season in the ISL, finishing at the seventh spot on the table with just 19 points from 18 matches. The Men in Yellow reached the finals of the competition twice in the first three seasons (in 2014 and 2016) but have failed to meet expectations since then.

Under Kibu Vicuna, who would be the ninth head coach to ply his trade at Kerala Blasters in the six years of its existence, the club are widely expected by fans to make a resurgence and challenge for the playoffs positions starting next season.

In the 2019-20 season, no one initially expected Mohun Bagan to lift the I-League title under Vicuna, but he was able to spread his influence and philosophy over the team calmly, slowly winning the confidence of the players and the management alike - resulting in their league triumph. Fans of Kerala Blasters now expect him to repeat his magic at their club, but for now, all we can do is to wait and watch.