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Former Atletico Madrid defender Antonio Lopez Habas is set to be the head coach of the Indian Super League’s Kolkata franchise, according to a report on kickoff.com.
La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are the co-owners of the ISL’s Kolkata franchise, which is named Atletico de Kolkata, and they had hinted during their visit to Kolkata in May that the franchise could have a Spanish head coach.
Habas spent his entire playing career in Spain with spells at clubs like Sevilla and Murcia. He spent the final season of his career at Atletico Madrid in 1985-86 but didn’t feature in any official game for them.
He has over 20 years of coaching experience, most of it in Spain. However Habas also had a stint as the coach of the Bolivia national team and was last in charge of South African club Bidvest Wits FC.
The kickoff.com report adds that at least three stars of South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) are set to feature in the inaugural season of the ISL, which kicks off on September 19. Among those three names is Bidvest Wits midfielder Ofentse Nato, who is a Botswana international and is expected to play for Atletico de Kolkata. Nato played under Habas at Wits.
Nato spent the 2013-14 season on loan at another PSL outfit Mpumalanga Black Aces and it looks like he will be now loaned to play in the ISL with the new PSL season starting in August.
