Bhubaneswar: Odisha FC (OFC) have appointed Ramírez González as the head coach of the team. This move comes ahead of the eighth season of the ISL which is slated to be played later in the year. The 51-year-old Spaniard has signed for the Odisha franchise for a year with an option to extend after the season.
A professional footballer, Ramírez started his managerial career with Spanish club Gimnastic as their assistant coach in 2002 and then as the youth coach. In 2010, he joined Pobla Mafumet club before returning to Gimnastic again in 2012. He has also coached other Spanish clubs like CE L’Hospitalet, CD Castellon and CE Sabadell (mostly Primera Division clubs). Before coming to India, the UEFA Pro License holder was the manager of Greek professional side AO Xanthi FC in 2019.
“I am very excited to arrive in India and start working on this amazing project with Odisha FC to make our fans feel proud of the team. We are going to work hard to build a strong team with good players that represent our fan base,” Ramirez said in a statement issued by Odisha FC.
Odisha FC president Raj Athwal said the club is delighted to welcome Ramirez. “We are delighted to welcome coach Ramirez to the Odisha family. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the club and has an impressive record with the clubs he has managed in Europe. We wish him well in achieving success for our football club,” Ramirez said.
OFC have also roped in the services of Joaquín ‘Kino’ García Sánchez as assistant coach and Head of Football Development ahead of the 2021-22 ISL season.