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What's the story?
In a news that is sure to excite Indian football fans, ex-ATK manager Jose Francisco Molina has been roped in by the Spanish National Team to be their next Director of Football. Molina coached in India in 2016 and won the Indian Super League title in his sole season in the subcontinent.
In case you didn't know...
Molina has been a well-known figure, both, during his time as a player and as a manager. The Spaniard was a goalkeeper and came through the youth ranks of Valencia before representing top Spanish sides such as Valencia, Villareal, and Atletico Madrid.
The Spaniard finished his playing career at Levante in 2007 before taking up managerial responsibilities at the Villareal reserve sides. He was soon promoted to the head coach position of Villareal senior team before moving on to Getafe B, Kitchee, Atletico de Kolkata, and Atletico San Luis.
The heart of the matter
The Spanish Football Association announced the appointment of Molina as their new Director of Football, via Twitter. His announcement comes just a day after head coach Fernando Hierro was shown the door, signalling a new era for Spain.
Molina is a well-known figure amongst the Indian football circles as the Spanish coach led ATK (Formerly, Atletico de Kolkata) to their second title in 2016. Although Molina-led Atletico de Kolkata finished fourth on the league table, they won the title via the playoffs.
The Spaniard, however, left his position after just one season due to different issues. He would then go on to manage Mexican side Atletico San Luis.
What's next?
Now the Director of Football of the Spanish federation, Molina will have a lot of tasks under him. The most important task will be to coordinate with the new head coach and help the national team return to its former glory.
Do you think the ex-ISL coach will be able to brink Spanish National Team back to its former glory? Do let us know in the comments below.
