MOHUN BAGAN HAVE SIGNED an experienced Spanish-Polish manager in José Antonio Vicuña Ochandorena, also known as Kibu Vicuna.
The 47 year started coaching from the age of 16, and his first major professional gig came in 2002 when he took over the CA Osasuna junior team in 2002. In 2005, he became the manager of Spanish Tercera Division club CD River Ega.
In 2007, he became the assistant coach of prominent manager Jan Urban. The two worked together for 11 years across many clubs including Legia Warszawa, Zagleble Lubin, Legia Warszawa, CA Osasuna, Lech Poznan and Slask Wroclaw.
Vicuna became the head coach of FK Trakai, a Lithuanian top flight club, in 2018. Later that year he took over at Polish top division side Wisla Plock.
He is taking over at Mohun Bagan from Khalid Jamil, and is the first foreign coach that the Mariners have had since Karim Bencherifa left the club in April 2014.
A holder of the UEFA Pro coaching license, Vicuna is known for his professional and academic approach to the sport, which indicates a major change in the way Mohun Bagan have gone through their recent seasons.
The club won the Calcutta Football League in 2018, but has not won a national level trophy since its fruitful run of winning the I-League in 2014-15 and Federation Cup in 2015-16.
Last season, Mohun Bagan finished 5th in the top division league, which marks their worst result since 2013-14. Appointing Vicuna, who according to sources will have final say in things like player singings (especially foreigners) and picking his assistant, is an attempt by club officials to shake off that rut and become a title contender again.