Mohammedan appoint Argentine-Spanish coach

Mohammedan Sporting Club have appointed UEFA Pro Licence coach Fernando Santiago Varela as their head coach for the upcoming football season, the club’s director-in-charge Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan confirmed on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old, who holds Argentine and Spanish citizenship, brings extensive coaching experience in the subcontinent, particularly in India, where he has worked with Churchill Brothers, Sporting Club de Goa, Gokulam Kerala FC, Bengaluru United and Sreenidi Deccan FC. He has also coached in Afghanistan and Spain’s lower divisions.

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Although Mohammedan had earlier indicated that they were considering coaches from Uzbekistan or Sweden, the club eventually opted for Varela because of his familiarity with South Asian football.

“We have communicated with many coaches, but we considered him better among all the CVs because he has good experience working in this subcontinent, especially in India. So, he knows how to handle teams in this region, and that’s why we have chosen him as head coach for the next one year,” Bhuiyan told reporters at a briefing at the club premises.

Varela is no stranger to Bangladesh. He visited the country in 2019 for the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, where he guided Gokulam Kerala FC to the runners-up spot, losing to East Bengal in the final.

However, his arrival date remains uncertain because of the lack of clarity over the start of the domestic league.

“We have been in confusion over the start of the league, so we want to bring him after getting confirmation of the league’s start,” Bhuiyan said.

The Mohammedan official also called on the Bangladesh Football Federation to reform the Professional Football League Committee by including representatives from clubs competing in the Bangladesh Football League and Bangladesh Championship League.