Full name Antonio Lopez Habas 1976–1977 Pozoblanco Current team Atletico de Kolkata Years Team Height 1.8 m | Playing position Role Footballer Place of birth Pozoblanco, Spain Name Antonio Habas Position Defender | |
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Date of birth (1957-05-28) 28 May 1957 (age 58) Similar People Fikru Teferra, Iain Hume, Borja Fernandez, Josemi, Luis Garcia | ||
Aiff reduces atletico de kolkata head coach antonio lopez habas ban to two matches
Antonio López Habas (born 28 May 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defender, and the current coach of Indian club FC Pune City.
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Antonio lopez habas interview
Playing career
Born in Pozoblanco, Córdoba, López had an unassuming career as a professional footballer, appearing in 48 La Liga matches over the course of four seasons, eight of those for Sevilla FC to where he arrived in 1977 from local amateurs CD Pozoblanco, first being assigned to Sevilla Atlético.
He also represented Real Murcia, Burgos CF and Atlético Madrid (no appearances for the latter), retiring from the game at only 29 years of age. In 1981–82 he scored an astonishing 13 goals in 32 games for Burgos, which nonetheless suffered Segunda División relegation due to financial irregularities.
Manager career
López started coaching in the early 1990s, with his last club's reserves. After one season apiece in amateur football, also in the Madrid area, he took charge of the Bolivia national team, first as an assistant, and eventually appeared with it, as head coach, at two Copa América tournaments. He then returned to club action with Club Bolívar, followed by a spell in his homeland with UE Lleida, in the second division – whilst at the Catalan club, he briefly accumulated with his work as the national coach of the South American country, which he left for good in 1997.
Three years after his last job, with lowly Granada CF, López was hired by Valencia CF to help develop its youth sides. However, after the sacking of Italian Claudio Ranieri, he managed the first team for 14 games, as the Che, the previous league champions, eventually finished seventh.
López started the following campaign with CD Tenerife in level two, being fired after six games. Two years later he joined Juan Ramón López Caro's staff at Celta de Vigo, in the same category. With the Galicians constantly batlling relegation until the last month of competition, he was named interim coach for the final six matches, eventually maintaining division status for the club; he was the third Celta manager in approximately one year.
In January 2012, López was appointed director of the Target Football Academy in Bangkok, Thailand. On 13 July he signed for South African club Wits University FC, penning a two-year contract but leaving the club on 4 January of the following year.
In August 2014, López was named coach of Atlético de Kolkata in the Indian Super League. On 25 October he was given a four-match suspension and fined ₹5,00,000 for his involvement in a spat with FC Goa's Robert Pires, which was reduced to two upon appeal.
After a dip in form from midway through the season, López led his team to the semi-finals by drawing with Goa, meeting the same opponent once again and defeating them on penalties. In the decisive match, against the Kerala Blasters, he benched marquee player Luis García and compatriot Jofre, for which he was praised by critics, and the side won thanks to a goal by Mohammed Rafique in extra time.
On 25 April 2016, López was appointed at fellow league club FC Pune City.