Former Spanish World Cupper Molina is new coach of ATK

Molina represented his national side Spain at the 1998 World Cup and two European Championships in 1996 and 2000 and in his 11 years of professional career he appeared in 189 matches with Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Atletico Madrid.

Published : May 03, 2016 21:25 IST , Kolkata

A file picture of Atletico de Kolkata football team celebrating its inagural ISL victory.
A file picture of Atletico de Kolkata football team celebrating its inagural ISL victory.
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A file picture of Atletico de Kolkata football team celebrating its inagural ISL victory.

Former Spanish World Cupper Jose Francisco Molina will be Atletico de Kolkata’s head coach for the upcoming Indian Super League season. He will succeed Antonio Habas who recently joined FC Pune City as its manager.

Molina represented his national side Spain at the 1998 World Cup and two European Championships in 1996 and 2000 and in his 11 years of professional career he appeared in 189 matches with Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Atletico Madrid.

As a player, Molina went on to win the La Liga and Copa Del Rey titles with Atletico de Madrid in its famous 1995-96 season before joining Deportivo de La Coruna with whom he lifted the Copa Del Rey trophy.

Molina had been the manager of teams like Getafe B, Villarreal C, Villarreal B, Villarreal, and Kitchee.

“I welcome Molina into our family. Molina’s experience with leading clubs of Spain and other parts of the world makes him an ideal candidate to take our on field performance few notches higher in his forthcoming assignment. He will be instrumental in building the team’s strategy and help us select some good prospective footballers for the upcoming season.”

“We wish him all the success and I am definitely sure that he will showcase the finest quality of football under his able guidance that has become synonymous to Atlco de Kolkata,” co-owner Sanjiv Goenka, chairman RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, stated in a release.

Molina has been a successful manager for clubs like Villarreal B and C divisions, Getafe B division and Kitchee (one of the most talked about teams from Hong Kong).

In his short one year stint in Hong Kong, Molina managed to achieve a remarkable domestic treble with the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup and he guided Kitchee to the AFC Cup quarter finals.

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