East Bengal announces full coaching team ahead of ISL 2023-24
Ahead of the 2023-24 Indian Super League season, East Bengal has once again revamped the coaching team of the club and appointed Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach and the Spaniard has signed a contract that lasts until the end of the 2024-25 season.
Mr Cuadrat will be a key figure to attract more talent to the club and integrate the homegrown talent into the first-team squad as well. The head coach has a good track record already winning the 2018-19 ISL title with Bengaluru and returns to India with high hopes.
He said, “I am very proud to have been appointed the head coach of East Bengal. It’s very exciting that a club with so much history and that has won so many trophies in Indian football has given me the opportunity to drive its vision forward. I will work with all my might to share new joys with the club’s huge fan base and hope to see the stands in the stadia filled with red and gold.”
East Bengal improved immensely under former India head coach Stephen Constantine as the Englishman brought discipline and a fighting spirit back to the club that once ruled Indian football. Now, to move to the next step, the management has reigned in the 2018-19 ISL winner and the Spaniard would be hoping to help the club achieve a first-ever ISL trophy in the upcoming seasons.
Another of the Blues’ winning contingent in the 2018-19 ISL season, Dimas Delgado has joined Cuadrat at the club in the hope to bring some success to the club in the next couple of seasons as the 40-year old also penned a two-year contract with the Kolkata-based club.
The former Barcelona B and Western Sydney Wanderers player feels that now is the perfect time to learn more about coaching and working with one of his former coaches will certainly help Delgado in making a name in the coaching circuit.
He said,
“Now that my professional playing career is over, I feel it’s an amazing opportunity for me to be at a club like East Bengal and work alongside Coach Carles and Coach Bino, who have immense knowledge and experience. I’ve played under him in the past and we share a common philosophy and understanding of the game.”
Talking about the history and size of the club, Delgado talked about the excitement ahead of the 2023-24 ISL season.
He continued,
“I have played in India before, so I have a fair idea of the competitiveness in Indian football. East Bengal is a historic club with a legacy of over 100 years. I am proud to be associated with this great club. I can’t wait to see the passionate Red & Gold fans.”
One of the players that Cuadrat has worked with already is Cleiton Silva and the Brazilian forward has vouched for the head coach that brought him to the ISL initially with Bengaluru before the forward switched clubs and joined the Reds and Golds.
“He’s the best candidate for the role. He also has a good relationship with the Indian players. He knows how to develop young players.”
Emami Group’s chief marketing and strategy officer, Debrata Mukherjee feels that the former Bengaluru central midfielder would be a huge asset to East Bengal and his presence would certainly help bring in new talent through the region.
He said,
“We are delighted to welcome Dimas Delgado as our Assistant Coach. The wealth of experience that he has across continents as a player, including his time in India, makes him an ideal choice for the role.”
He concluded,
“We believe that he can assist Coach Carles in bringing the best out of the squad. Dimas will work closely with Bino George, our Assistant Coach from India, to identify and groom a pipeline of talented footballers, which will go a long way in providing not just a balanced mix of youth and experience, but also a long-term inventory of talent for the squad.”
