From long balls to line-breaking passes and calculated build-ups, the Indian Super League (ISL) has come a long way and at the heart of that evolution has been one nation’s tactical influence: Spain.

Over the last decade, Spanish head coaches have done far more than just win trophies. They’ve reshaped the way football is played and perceived in India. Be it possession-based football or counter-attacking systems, Spanish tacticians have brought variety and depth to the ISL’s tactical playbook.

What’s more, they’ve managed to take Indian players along for the ride - teaching, trusting and transforming them into modern footballers capable of adapting to different styles. And they have revolutionised the league, having been the brains behind some of the most thrilling and dominant sides the league has seen.

The early successors

Antonio Habas set the tone early in the inaugural season. His ATK FC side may not have played eye-catching possession football but they were disciplined, aggressive and lethal on the counter. Habas, a classic pragmatist, had his own ways. He came to win and he did. His success was just the beginning.

Then came Jose Molina in 2016, also at ATK FC. His tenure wasn’t long, but it was enough to secure another Cup for the Kolkata side. His philosophy wasn’t the same as Habas and there was plenty of focus on the ball, but he got the results.

Habas returned to India in 2019 and replicated his success, winning his second ISL Cup with ATK FC and becoming the first head coach in the league to win two ISL Cups.

Molina, too, returned years later in 2024, now with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and scripted history by guiding them to a double, a feat only one other Spaniard Sergio Lobera had managed before him.

Lobera and the birth of the Spanish style

If Habas was the original conqueror, Lobera was the artist. When he arrived at FC Goa in 2017, he brought with him the Barcelona blueprint: possession-based football, building from the back and positional play. It was a revolution. Indian football fans, used to watching defenders playing long balls, were now witnessing centre-backs splitting wide to receive passes from the goalkeeper.

Lobera’s FC Goa in the 2019-20 season were a masterclass in controlled chaos. They moved the ball with intent and unlocked defences with a series of incisive passes.

Even when Lobera parted ways before the season's end, his groundwork won FC Goa the Shield under interim coach Clifford Miranda. Lobera later joined Mumbai City FC and immediately delivered the ISL double in 2020-21, becoming the first head coach to do so in a single season.

What Lobera did wasn’t just win trophies, he changed the DNA of Indian club football. Today, teams like Odisha FC (his current side), FC Goa under Manolo Marquez and Gerard Zaragoza’s Bengaluru FC all adopt similar possession-centric philosophies. And importantly, Indian players have adapted.

Workhorses to protagonists

Spanish head coaches didn’t just bring a tactical shift, they brought belief. Under their guidance, Indian players were no longer mere workhorses. They became ball-playing defenders, expressive midfielders and even versatile forwards.

Take defenders for example. In the past, Indian centre-backs were expected to boot the ball out under pressure. Now, they're initiating attacks. Players like Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke and Chinglensana Singh to name a few, have flourished under Spanish head coaches, playing roles that require composure and tactical awareness.

Midfielders too have found themselves playing in intricate systems that demand intelligence, vision and sharp execution. Spanish coaches have trusted Indian players with roles that many years ago would have automatically gone to foreigners. And that has been a game-changer.

The other side of Spain

While Lobera and his peers brought the beautiful game, Habas showed you didn’t need the ball to dominate. His teams were built on structure, discipline and quick transitions.

That pragmatic school has its modern followers too. Look at Juan Pedro Benali at NorthEast United. His team finished third from bottom in successful passes completed in the 2024-25 league stage but still scored the second-most goals. How? With quick transitions, fierce pressing and a system designed to create. And the Highlanders were successful, creating the most chances in the league stage.

Benali’s side, packed with attacking flair, proved once again that there's more than one way to win and that Spanish tacticians know them all.

Goal rush

If there’s one thing Spanish head coaches have guaranteed, it’s goals and entertainment. With the exception of the 2022-23 season (when Mumbai City FC topped the league under Des Buckingham), every ISL team that scored the most goals in the league stage over the last eight seasons has had a Spaniard involved at the helm.

From Lobera’s free-scoring FC Goa to Marquez’s balanced yet clinical Hyderabad FC, the goals just kept coming.

Bengaluru FC, under Albert Roca during the 2017-18 season (the fourth season of the league), set a new benchmark by collecting a record 40 points in the league stage while scoring 35 goals across 18 matches. Though they eventually lost the final to Chennaiyin FC, Roca's side were ruthless in attack and equally solid at the back, conceding the fewest goals that season. When Roca departed, his assistant Carles Cuadrat took over and Bengaluru FC continued their attacking momentum, building seamlessly on the foundation laid by Roca.

Before Des Buckingham's Mumbai City FC shattered the record for most goals in a league stage during the 2022-23 season, it was FC Goa that held the reputation of being the most prolific side in ISL history. Under Sergio Lobera in 2017-18, Goa became the first club to score 40 or more goals in a single league stage, finishing with 42 goals. They then surpassed their own record in the 2019-20 season by netting 46 goals, setting a new league high, again with Lobera at the helm for the majority of the campaign.

In the 2020-21 season, Lobera’s Mumbai City FC and Antonio Habas’ Mohun Bagan Super Giant went toe to toe in the race for silverware. The Islanders edged ahead, claiming both the Shield and the ISL Cup in a season defined by fine margins.

A new champion emerged in the 2021-22 season, with Hyderabad FC under Manolo Marquez taking the league by storm. Led by a goal-hungry Bartholomew Ogbeche, the side consistently found the net and ultimately clinched the Cup.

In 2022-23, Juan Ferrando brought a blend of control and attacking flair to Mohun Bagan Super Giant and guided the Mariners to Cup glory, even though the season wasn’t their most dominant.

Habas, long known for his preference for defensive solidity and counter-attacking football, took charge from Ferrando during the 2023-24 season and surprised critics by transforming MBSG into a formidable attacking force. That season, the Mariners ended the season with 47 goals in the league stage, the highest in the league that campaign and a new club record. When Molina took over the following season, he not only matched the impressive total of 47 goals but also elevated the team further, leading the Mariners to a historic double.

And let’s not forget Gerard Zaragoza, who led Bengaluru FC to the ISL final in the 2024-25 season. The Spaniard, who was assistant coach to Cuadrat during their Cup-winning campaign, revived the Blues by getting them back to their roots of playing possession-based, attacking football. Under his guidance, Bengaluru FC scored 40 goals in the league stage, setting a new club record for goals in a single league season. Veteran forward Sunil Chhetri, at 40 years of age, rolled back the years by matching his best-ever ISL goal tally. Remarkably, this turnaround came just a season after the Blues had finished 10th, with Zaragoza stepping in midway through that campaign to take charge.

As of now, seven Spanish head coaches are actively managing ISL teams. Those include Molina (Mohun Bagan Super Giant), Marquez (FC Goa), Zaragoza (Bengaluru FC), Lobera (Odisha FC), Benali (NorthEast United FC), David Catala (Kerala Blasters FC) and Oscar Bruzon (East Bengal FC).

Each brings their own spin to their philosophy, some focused on the ball, others on efficiency but all share a fundamental belief that football should be played with purpose and with an intent to attack.

A lasting legacy

The biggest win Spanish coaches have delivered isn’t a trophy, it’s been the evolution of the league. They have increased the tactical IQ of the league and forced other head coaches to evolve or perish.

Most importantly, they’ve helped Indian players believe they can play modern and attractive football. And the progress is evident. Indian players are no longer strangers to tactical flexibility. Whether it’s building from the back or initiating quick transitions, Indian players are holding their own in demanding systems.

Spanish head coaches didn’t just bring a style, they have brought substance, structure and success. They have shaped the ISL’s journey like no other.

So whether you love the patient build-up plays or live for counter-attacking football, one thing is for sure. If a Spaniard is at the helm, there’s a good chance you’ll be on the edge of your seat.