ISL 2023-24: East Bengal announces Indian Super League winner Delgado as assistant coach

Indian Super League side East Bengal FC appointed ISL winner Dimas Delgado as the assistant coach, the club announced on Wednesday.

Dimas Delgado won the ISL title with Bengaluru FC. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Indian Super League side East Bengal FC appointed ISL winner Dimas Delgado as the assistant coach, the club announced on Wednesday.

“East Bengal FC appointed former Hero Indian Super League (ISL) winner Mr Dimas Delgado as their Assistant Coach on a two-year contract. The 40- year-old will assist the club’s new Head Coach Mr Carles Cuadrat, under whose stewardship he played for Bengaluru FC in the past,” the club said in an official statement.

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. 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.

Mr Delgado, a UEFA A license holder, said, “I got my coaching license 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.”

“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,” he added.

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, Mr 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.

“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,” Cuadrat said.

 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.