Argentine Santiago Varela appointed coach of Mohammedan

With the objective of building a championship-winning team for the upcoming season, traditional Dhaka club Mohammedan Sporting Club has appointed a new coach. Argentine coach Santiago Varela has been named the head coach of the club.

Varela brings extensive coaching experience in South Asian football. He began his coaching career in India in 2018 by taking charge of Gokulnam Kerala FC. Following that, he has worked as a coach for Churchill Brothers, Sreenidi Deccan, FC Bengaluru United, and most recently, Sporting Club de Goa. Varela has also spent two seasons managing Abu Muslim FC in Afghanistan.

Prior to his stints in Asia, he managed the Spanish third-tier side CF Gavà. Born in Barcelona in 1973, Varela also holds Spanish citizenship and is a UEFA Pro License holder. Amirul Islam Babu, coordinator of the Mohammedan football team, stated that Varela was appointed given his extensive working experience in South Asian football.

Last season, midway through the campaign, Mohammedan dismissed Alfaz Ahmed, and Abdul Kaiyum Sentu served as the interim coach for the remainder of the period. This time, the club had planned from the outset to appoint a foreign coach. While English coach Sean Lane was also in discussions, the black-and-whites ultimately placed their trust in Varela.

Although Varela has worked for a long time in India's I-League, he has yet to lead a team to a championship title. It remains to be seen whether he can bring success to Mohammedan in Bangladesh's domestic league.