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What's the story?
Head coach Albert Roca, under whom the Bengaluru FC have managed to enter the Indian Super League finals in their debut season showered praise on assistant coach Carles Cuadrat's return to the Bengaluru-based franchise and was thrilled at the prospect of joining hands with Cuadrat to take BFC to greater heights.
The Spanish coach slotted into the role of Albert Roca's assistant in 2016 and was an integral part of BFC's coaching setup, assisting the team to Federation Cup win in 2017.
In case you didn't know...
With acres of experience under his belt having coached many sides in the past, Cuadrat signed a deal to slot into the assistant coach's role alongside Albert Roca ahead of the 2016 ISL season, two years after he paired up with Roca as part of El Salvador's national team in 2014.
However, an injury in the fag end of the 2017 season saw Cuadrat flying back to his country, cutting ties with the franchise that also saw Spain's Marc Huguet occupying the vacant position of assistant coach.
The heart of the matter
Post joining hands with Albert Roca in 2016, Cuadrat brought all his experience into play with translated into results as Bengaluru FC went on to clinch the 2017 Federation Cup. Ahead of an important opening game against Bangladesh's Abhani Dhaka as part of the 2018 AFC Cup, Roca heaped praise on Cuadrat.
"Cuadrat is back and he's here to help. He helps me with decisions for set-pieces, with the selection of players. I have confidence in him and Marc (assistant coach) and the rest of the staff and now is the time to help us and push us in the right direction," emphasizing on the importance of the Spaniard's presence in the coaching setup.
Roca also spoke about the team's upbeat reaction to his return and said "Everybody is happy that Carles is back. Mentally and morally, it's given us a boost and a very important one at this time of the season," hinting about the club's future.
What's next?
Only a couple of days ahead of the big Indian Super League final against Chennaiyin FC, an upbeat Bengaluru FC will take on Abahani Dhaka in its opening fixture as part of the 2018 AFC Cup group stages.
Author's take
With one eye out for the finals of the ISL, it will be interesting to see the squad selection that Roca and Cuadrat combine to form which can potentially be influenced by the pressure of the mega final in the coming weekend.
