Mohun Bagan’s new Spanish manager Jose Antonio ‘Kibu’ Vicuna arrived in the city on Thursday morning along with his assistant coach Tomasz Tchorz. Both of them were greeted by thousands of fans who gathered at the airport, giving the duo the taste of the football madness that Kolkata always boasts off. The tactician, who is expected to take charge of the team from July 1 was pretty happy to set foot in the ‘City of Joy.’
During his first interaction with the media, Kibu said, “I’m feeling great! We are now in Kolkata and want to start working with the team from the 1st of July. I’m very happy to be in Kolkata.” The 47-year old will be at the helm of affairs at India’s oldest and arguably the most successful club.
Mohun Bagan has managed to recruit a few foreigners in the transfer market after they dismantled the entire setup following the season. The management has already secured the services of Spanish defender Fran Morante and striker Salva Chamorro. Vicuna addressed that he was happy how the Kolkata giants have built the team so far and hope to start working with them soon.
“I’m very happy with the team. Of course, it’ll take time for me to know the players better. I’ll need to watch matches on video in order to be a strong team. We want to start working with the team. I hope we are going to be a very good team soon,” said the coach to MBAC TV. The Spaniard’s first assignment as a manager will be the Durand Cup in August, followed by the Calcutta Football League.
Vicuna will shoulder the burden of expectations of millions of people who follow the club passionately. Apart from the Calcutta Football League, there has been very little to cheer about for the supporters. Hopefully, the new setup will change their fortunes. When he was asked to give a message to his fans, he said, “For the supporters, I’d say we really need their help. We are going to work hard. I hope that they are going to be proud of their team this season.”