Delhi Dynamos has named Josep Gombau, a former Barcelona B manager, as its head coach. The 42-year-old signed a two-year contract with the club, taking over the reigns from Miguel Angel Portugal, who left the club in May.
Gombau expressed eagerness to fulfil his role in what, he stresses, will not be a new setting for him. He said, “I am really excited and looking forward to this opportunity in the Indian Super League. I am not new to Asian football, so I know what to expect and I am ready for this challenge. The goal is to keep the philosophy of this club intact and to take the players to the next level where they are ready to challenge for the title.”
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Born in Amposta, Spain, Gombau began his coaching career at the age of 16 when he joined the youth team of Amposta FC. Gombau then left his home city to become a coach at Espanyol’s youth team, before joining FC Barcelona B in 2003. During his six-year stint with the Catalan side, Gombau held multiple positions with the academy.
Asian stint
Gombau’s first career move away from Spain was to Hong Kong, where he served as head coach of Kitchee SC. During his four-year tenure there, he won the Hong Kong First Division League and the Hong Kong FA Cup twice in addition to the Hong Kong League Cup.
He was also associated for two years with Australia’s A-League team Adelaide United. After his successful stint with the club, he was appointed as the head coach of the Australia U-23 side. In 2016, he was also the assistant coach of the Australian men’s national team.
‘Ticks the right boxes’
Rohan Sharma, the Delhi Dynamos director, said Gombau “ticks all the right boxes” for the club.
He said, “The idea this season was to bring in stability and get a head coach who shares a similar philosophy as the club and coach Gombau ticks all the right boxes.”
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