Former Real Madrid coach Angel Puebla Garcia will be deputy to SC East Bengal head coach Manuel ‘Manolo’ Diaz for the Indian Super League 2021-22 season. He will also fulfill the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach, the club announced on Friday.
With close to two decades of coaching experience, Garcia has worked with the likes of Vicente del Bosque at Real Madrid between 1993-94 and Rafa Benítez in Real Madrid and Real Valladolid between 1994-1996 as both football conditioning and assistant coach.
A UEFA Pro License holder who has also cut his teeth in sports science, fitness and conditioning with multiple degrees to show for, Garcia has worked closely with players of the ilk of David Villa and David Silva while also working with the Georgia national team in 2008.
“I am happy to be part of such a big club like SC East Bengal. I have worked in some of the finest football clubs and with some of the best coaches I know what it takes to bring the winning mentality and that is what we will try to do here,” Garcia said in a statement.
“I am looking forward for the challenge ahead and I can’t wait to get started,” he added.
Garcia was the Chief Executive of Real Valladolid´s Academy and Kimberley College Football Academy in Brisbane, Australia. Having worked in four continents, Garcia was last attached to Newell´s Old Boys in Argentina, where he was the assistant coach to Germán Burgos.
Garcia has worked with players like Raúl, Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueño, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Iván Zamorano and Maxi Rodríguez besides also training Spanish world champions Villa, Silva, Álvaro Arbeloa, Carlos Marchena and Raúl Albiol.
He has worked with Al Wasl in Dubai and has also closely worked with Evergrande Football School in China. Garcia was assistant coach to Héctor Cúper in Turkey as well for FC Orduspor. He worked with Cúper at Racing de Santander before that also being part of his team at the Greek club Aris FC.
Meanwhile, Indian football legend Renedy Singh will continue to remain assistant coach of SC East Bengal and will be part of Diaz’s backroom staff.
SC East Bengal kick-off their Indian Super League 2021-22 campaign against Jamshedpur FC at Tilak Maidan on November 21.
Featured photo: SC East Bengal
