Jamshedpur FC have announced Cesar Ferrando as their new head coach for the 2018-19 season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). Ferrando takes over the reins from Steve Coppell, who had managed the club in its inaugural season, after completing a successful stint at the helm of the Spanish club, La Nucia.

The former Atlético Madrid manager takes up the new assignment as a challenge, after having previously spent a year in 2013-14 in Asia managing the current Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim. “I am very happy to a part of ISL. It is my second international appearance after one year in Malaysia and after a large career in Spain. It's a challenge in front of me.”

Last season, Jamshedpur narrowly missed out on registering a playoff berth, something the club would be looking to achieve in the upcoming season. Speaking on the objectives for the new season, the 58-year-old said, “Our challenge is to make the team more competitive in the league. We hope to implement a strong and unique football model and we hope to inculcate tiki-taka style of football in our gameplay.”

He further continued, “We are working with the sports directors of the club to incorporate a few quality international players to help the team grow and improve on the results of the previous season.” Thus, Jamshedpur’s activities in the transfer market are sure to heat up in the closing stages.

Ferrando also shared his views on the appointment of José Francisco Molina, the former ATK coach, as the sporting director of Spanish Football Federation, “Jose Molina is a very nice person and a respectable coach. He is a person with a strong character and an undeniable leader in the dressing room, who sets a pattern and ensures that no one deviates from that pattern.”

When asked about the current state of Spanish football, after the star-studded team put up an unimpressive performance in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, he believes that the road ahead is positive. “Spanish football is expected to do well with Molina at the helm of affairs. He will now play his part in helping Spain get back to the top of World football and win trophies with them like he did in his season with the Kolkata outfit,” he concluded.