Varela targets title with Mohammedan

New Mohammedan Sporting Club head coach Fernando Santiago Varela said he has come to Bangladesh with one goal. To fight for titles and help the traditional giants regain their place at the top of domestic football.

The Argentine-born Spanish coach made the remarks during a “Meet the Press” programme at the club premises on Sunday afternoon after being officially unveiled by the Black and Whites ahead of the new season.

Mohammedan won the Bangladesh Premier League title in the 2024-25 season but slipped to fifth place last season. The club have responded by strengthening the squad and appointing Varela in a bid to return to the summit.

“I am a very competitive person and I want my players to have the same mentality in training and in matches,” Varela told journalists.

“Whatever competition we play in, our objective is to win. We will do everything possible to become champions. It is easy to say, but wherever I work, my commitment is always to fight for titles.”

Varela, who has been working in Indian football since 2018, said he was excited to begin his first coaching stint in Bangladesh. He added that no player would be guaranteed a place in the starting eleven and that everyone would have to earn their spot through performances in training and matches.

Mohammedan have strengthened their squad considerably ahead of the new season, bringing in high-profile names such as Emmanuel Sunday, Agbaji and Souleymane Diabate, while several Bangladesh national team players are also part of the side.

Club president Barkat Ullah Bulu said Mohammedan had assembled the country's highest-budget squad and expressed hope that Varela would lead the side back to championship success.

Director-in-Charge Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan said the club's ambition is to revive the glory and tradition that made Mohammedan one of Bangladesh football's most successful teams during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mohammedan are set to begin training under  Varela from Monday as preparations for the new season gather pace. With the club lacking its own training ground, the Black and Whites will continue to rely on the Dhanmondi ground and the turf at Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium for their practice sessions.

Players, club officials and former footballers were also present at the introductory press conference as Mohammedan formally began a new chapter under Varela’s leadership.