East Bengal FC have appointed former Indian Super League (ISL) winner Dimas Delgado as their Assistant Coach on a two-year contract. The 40- year-old will assist the club’s new Head Coach Carles Cuadrat, under whose stewardship he played for Bengaluru FC in the past.
The former Spanish midfielder won the Hero ISL title with BFC in the 2018-19 season after helping the Blues finish runners-up in his maiden season in India a year before.
In fact, it was off Delgado’s corner kick that Rahul Bheke scored the winner for BFC against FC Goa in the 2018-19 Hero ISL final under Cuadrat.
Delgado, a UEFA A license holder, expressed his elation at joining East Bengal FC. He said, “I got my coaching licenses while playing in Spain. I wanted to get into coaching and have tried to learn from all the coaches I’ve had in my professional career. 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.”
He added, “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.”
Delgado was a vital cog in BFC’s midfield during his four-year Hero ISL stint between 2017 and 2021, registering 4 goals, 14 assists, 198 tackles, 83 interceptions and 74 clearances in 67 matches.
A product of the FC Gramenet academy, Delgado was part of Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona B from 2006 to 2008 before joining CD Numancia, where he made his La Liga debut in 2008.
Later, between 2011 and 2015, Mr Delgado competed in the Segunda División with FC Cartagena and Recreativo de Huelva before moving to the A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers for a two-year spell till 2017. He last represented the Spanish club CF Montañesa before drawing curtains on his playing career.
𝓘𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓷! 🪄#AmagoFans, join us in welcoming our Assistant Coach Dimas Delgado, who has signed a 2️⃣-year contract with the club. ✍️#JoyEastBengal #WelcomeCoachDimas pic.twitter.com/2RPS4EKbtV
— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) May 24, 2023
Commenting on Delgado’s appointment, Debabrata Mukherjee of Emami Group 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. 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.”
East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat said, “Dimas knows Indian football pretty well and was part of the leadership group during our fantastic run with Bengaluru FC. He will serve as a bridge between the players and the coaching staff, and we are very happy to bring him on board.”
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