East Bengal FC has hired former Indian Super League (ISL) champion Carles Cuadrat as their new Head Coach on a two-year deal.
Cuadrat, 54, began his coaching career in India in 2016 as the Assistant Coach of Bengaluru FC (BFC).
During his first stint in India, from 2016 and 2018, BFC won the former Federation Cup. The inaugural Super Cup, and became the first Indian team to reach the AFC Cup final.
In 2018, the Spaniard took over as BFC’s Head Coach. Leading the club to its first ISL title in the 2018-19 season. Under his guidance, BFC became the first side in ISL history. Won both the league and the trophy in the same season. Cuadrat guided the Blues back to the playoffs the following season.
BFC achieved several club records under Cuadrat’s tenure. The Blues enjoyed an 11-match undefeated streak (including six consecutive wins) in the 2018-19 season. Which was the longest in the ISL at the time. His time as BFC’s head coach coincided with the team’s 17-match undefeated streak at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The longest such stretch by an ISL club at home. BFC also recorded its biggest-ever win under Cuadrat in February 2020. When it defeated Paro FC 9-1 in the AFC Cup Qualifiers.
Cuadrat is a graduate of Barcelona’s La Masia. He was a defender for all of FC Barcelona’s junior teams between 1978 and 1988. He was also a member of FC Barcelona’s U-19 Spanish Cup winning teams in 1986 and 1987. In addition to appearing in two friendlies for FCB’s first squad in 1988, Cuadrat was a member of the Spanish team that came third in the 1985 UEFA European U-16 Championship.
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Cuadrat left India following the 2020-21 season to join the Cypriot Club Aris Limassol as an Assistant Coach, where he helped the club reach the playoffs after being promoted to Cyprus’ top division. He was most recently an Assistant Coach with FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga.
East Bengal’s Debabrata Mukherjee remarked of Cuadrat’s hiring as head coach, We are pleased to bring Cuadrat on board. All of us are confident that his vast wealth of experience and impressive track record in Indian football will help us build a strong team to achieve greater heights in Indian football.”
“We would also like to thank Stephen Constantine for his services to the Club during the past season. Wish him the very best in all his future endeavours,” he continued.
Cuadrat expressed his excitement upon joining East Bengal FC, saying, “I am very proud to have been appointed as the Head Coach of East Bengal for the next 2 years. It’s very exciting that a Club with so much history that has won so many trophies in Indian football has given me the opportunity to drive the Club’s vision forward.”
“I am delighted to return to India, a country that I love dearly and where I have had many happy moments. I will work with all my might to create new moments of happiness with the huge fan base of the club across the globe and hope to witness the stands at the stadiums filled with red & gold.
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