KOCHI: Kibu Vicuna is among the many Spanish tacticians who have found success in Indian football in recent times. His title triumph with Mohun Bagan saw Kerala Blasters waste no time in appointing him as their new head coach recently.
The likes of Antonio Habas, Sergio Lobera, Albert Roca, Carles Cuadrat, and Jose Francisco Molina are among the Spaniards who have made their name in the Indian sub-continent.
FC Goa recently appointed Juan Ferrando as their new head coach. Vicuna feels that it is not a coincidence that clubs are opting for Spanish coaches. “Spanish football in the last two decades has been growing. The level of the coaches are good because the level of studies we are doing is good. Also, when you have finished your UEFA Pro License, you can continue learning in the Spanish Federation because you have a lot of Masters programs to improve. I think the Spanish federation and all the Spanish football is, if not the best, one of the best in the world,” said Vicuna. He added: “Also the Spanish players, in terms of individual tactics, they are better than the rest of the world.”
Over the course of six Indian Super League editions, Blasters have played under eight different head coaches with Vicuna becoming the ninth. From David James in the first season to Eelco Schattorie last season, the club has started every season with a new coach — with some leaving midway through the season.
Under Vicuna, a free-flowing Bagan swept the other teams in the league and went on to win the title while drawing praise for their attractive style of play. And the Spaniard wants to create a team that can fight for the top honours at Blasters come next season. “First, we have to create a good team and create our own style that everybody should be comfortable with. And then if we are creating a good team, our own style, and our values and we create a family, we will be closer to get good results,” said Vicuna.
The 48-year-old’s style of play will surely please the fans and is something similar to what his predecessor Schattorie practiced. “Every coach and his staff have their own style. We try to be a pro-active team. That means a team that controls the game through the ball and try to play the ball from the goalkeeper to the defensive line. And when we don’t have the ball, to press in order to recover the ball as soon as possible and closer to the goal of the opponent,” said Vicuna.
At Bagan, he worked closely with youngsters and the tactician says that he wants to unearth new talent at Blasters. “I like to work with young players and that’s why when I arrived at Mohun Bagan, I told the director, that I want the best players from the junior team. The same we are going to do at Kerala Blasters because I’m sure that there are good players in the Kerala Blasters academy. I will continue to work with young players,” he said.
His desire to improve youngsters will come as great news for young Sahal Abdul Samad, who struggled to find a place in Schattorie’s team last season. Vicuna comes with big expectations after winning the I-League in a dominant fashion and he remembers his time at Bagan fondly. “My time at Mohun Bagan was fantastic. Even though at the beginning we couldn’t win the Durand Cup and the Calcutta League, we played very good matches. We won a lot of games and we scored a lot of goals. We started to play good football. It was very important, the Durand Cup, Calcutta League, and Sheikh Kamal tournament in Bangladesh in order to create a good team and create our own style and values. And then in the I-League, we could play our game and succeed in the competition,” said Vicuna.