I-League debutants Sreenidhi FC is set to appoint Fernando Santiago Varela as their head coach, Goal can confirm.
The club from Andhra Pradesh is set to play in the I-League for the first time in the 2021-22 season and has turned to Varela to lead the charge.
Varela was introduced to Indian football by Gokulam Kerala three years ago. The team won the Kerala Premier League before the coach left the club due to personal reasons. A year later, he returned to the Kozhikode-based club and took charge of the club for the 2019-20 campaign.
The Malabarians won the Durand Cup, reached the semi-final of the Sheikh Jamal Cup in Bangladesh and was close to finishing in the top four in the I-League. However, the coach and the club parted ways again and the former joined Goan club Churchill Brothers for the 2020-21 campaign.
Goal
Churchill were strong favourites to win the title last season but finished runners-up below champions Gokulam Kerala. They went unbeaten during the regular season and lost only twice in the second phase but ultimately, dropped enough points to allow Varela's former club to pounce in the final few rounds.
Sreenidhi will be Varela's third club in India and with a fresh project at his disposal, he will hope to make a mark in the I-League next season.
