ISL: Former Real Madrid assistant coach Angel Puebla Garia joins SC East Bengal as Manolo Diaz's deputy

Kolkata: Former Real Madrid coach Angel Puebla Garcia has been appointed as the deputy to SC East Bengal head coach Manuel ‘Manolo’ Diaz, the club announced on Friday. He will also be fulfilling the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach. 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 Benitez 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, and has also worked with the Georgia national team in 2008.

🚨𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓🚨

SC East Bengal can confirm that former Real Madrid coach, Á𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚, will assist head coach Manuel ‘Manolo’ Diaz, also fulfilling the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach for the upcoming season.#WeAreSCEB 🔴🟡 pic.twitter.com/c2dpB8DrTK

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) September 24, 2021

“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. “I am looking forward to 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 German Burgos. Garcia has worked with players like Raul, Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueo, Rafael Martin Vazquez, Ivan Zamorano and Maxi Rodriguez besides also training Spanish world champions Villa, Silva, Alvaro Arbeloa, Carlos Marchena and Raul Albiol. He has worked with Al Wasl in Dubai, also plying his trade with Evergrande Football School in China. Garcia was assistant coach to Hector Cuper in Turkey as well for FC Orduspor. He worked with Cuper at Racing de Santander before that also being part of his team at Greek club Aris FC. Meanwhile, former Indian football star Renedy Singh will continue to remain assistant coach of SC East Bengal and will be part of Diaz’s backroom staff. Former India captain Renedy was part of Robbie Fowler’s coaching team as well in SC East Bengal debut season in the Indian Super League.