Antonio López Habas

Antonio López Habas (born 28 May 1957) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defender, and the current manager of Indian club ATK.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Habas.

Antonio López
Personal information
Full name Antonio López Habas
Date of birth (1957-05-28) 28 May 1957
Place of birth Pozoblanco, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 ATK (manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1977 Pozoblanco
1977–1978 Sevilla B
1978–1980 Sevilla 8 (0)
1980–1982 Burgos 45 (14)
1982–1985 Murcia 74 (11)
1985–1986 Atlético Madrid 0 (0)
Teams managed
1990–1991 Atlético Madrileño
1991–1992 Las Rozas
1992–1993 Aranjuez
1993–1994 Bolivia (assistant)
1994–1995 Bolívar
1995–1996 Lleida
1995–1997 Bolivia
1998 Sporting Gijón
2000–2001 Bolívar
2001–2003 Valencia (assistant)
2005 Valencia
2005 Tenerife
2007–2008 Celta (assistant)
2008 Celta
2009–2010 Mamelodi Sundowns (assistant)
2010–2011 Mamelodi Sundowns
2012–2013 Bidvest Wits
2014–2016 ATK
2016–2017 Pune City
2019– ATK
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Born in Pozoblanco, Córdoba, López had an unassuming career as a professional footballer, appearing in 48 La Liga matches over 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,[1][2][3] which nonetheless suffered Segunda División relegation due to financial irregularities.[4]

Coaching career

López started coaching in the early 1990s, with Atlético'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 to Xabier Azkargorta, and eventually appeared with it them as head coach at two Copa América tournaments.[5] 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 side, he briefly accumulated with his work as the national coach of the South American country, which he left for good in 1997[6] to sign with Sporting de Gijón of the Spanish second tier, being dismissed shortly after his arrival.[7]

Three years after his last job, with Club Bolívar, López was hired by Valencia CF as assistant to Rafael Benítez.[8] 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.[6] Additionally, he worked at the Mestalla Stadium as youth system coordinator.[9]

López became CD Tenerife's second head coach of the following campaign in November 2005,[10] being fired himself after only six second level matches. Two years later, he joined Hristo Stoichkov's staff at RC Celta de Vigo in the same tier. With the Galicians constantly battling relegation until the last month of competition, he was named interim coach for the final three months[6] as the team eventually stayed afloat; he was the third manager for the club in approximately one year, after replacing Juan Ramón López Caro.[11][12]

In 2010–11 López, who was assistant to Stoichkov at Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. of the South African Premier Division, took over the reins of the senior team.[13] They made their best-ever start to a season and topped the standings at the end of the first round, eventually staying in contention for the league title until the second last match; he resigned in February citing personal reasons, and went back to Spain.[14]

In January 2012, López was appointed director of the Target Football Academy in Bangkok, Thailand.[15] On 13 July he signed for South African club Bidvest Wits FC, agreeing to a two-year contract[16] but leaving on 4 January of the following year.[17]

In August 2014, after a short spell in Atlético Madrid's youth system,[18] López was named coach of ATK in the Indian Super League.[19] 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,[20] which was reduced to two upon appeal.[21]

After a dip in form from midway through the season, López led his team to the semi-finals by drawing with Goa,[22] meeting the same opponent once again and defeating them on penalties.[23] In the decisive match, against Kerala Blasters FC, he benched marquee player Luis García and also-compatriot Jofre, for which he was praised by critics,[24] and the side won thanks to a goal by Mohammed Rafique in extra time.[25]

On 25 April 2016, López was appointed at fellow league club FC Pune City.[26] On 16 September 2017, after a run-in with the board of directors, he left his position.[27]

In May 2019, López returned to ATK.[28] On 14 March 2020, in a final played behind closed doors, he won the national championship against Chennaiyin FC to become the first manager to achieve the feat twice with the same team.[29][30]

Honours

Player

Murcia

Manager

Bolivia

Atlético Kolkata

References
  1. Paramo, J.A. (12 November 1981). "3–0: No fue rival el Oviedo para el Burgos" [3–0: Burgos no match for Oviedo]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  2. Paramo, J.A. (21 December 1981). "Burgos 2, – Málaga 0". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  3. Rey, Emilio (5 April 1982). "5–3: ¡Como un torrente!" [5–3: Like a tornado!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. "Burgos, un club al borde de la bancarrota" [Burgos, a club on the verge of bankruptcy]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 12 July 1982. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  5. "Azkargorta et Lopez en Bolivie: Quand la Verde affrontait Guardiola au Mondial et Ronaldo en finale de Copa America" [Azkargorta and Lopez in Bolivia: When the Verde took on Guardiola at the World Cup and Ronaldo at the Copa América final] (in French). Furia Liga. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  6. "Un estudioso de la teoría del fútbol con sobrada experiencia en los banquillos como titular" [A scholar of the football theory with head coach experience to spare]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 11 March 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. Calleja, José Luis (6 October 1998). "Directiva y técnico, a la calle" [Board and manager, out you go]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. Mukherjee, Debayan (7 January 2016). "Sacking Rafael Benitez was a mistake: Habas". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  9. "Llega un bombero con agua fresca" [Fireman arrives with fresh water] (in Spanish). ESPN. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  10. "LÓPEZ, "aquí y ahora"" [LÓPEZ, "here and now"]. El Día (in Spanish). 15 November 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  11. "López Caro, nuevo entrenador del Celta tras la marcha de Stoichkov" [López Caro, new Celta manager after Stoichkov's departure] (in Spanish). Libertad Digital. 8 October 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  12. "López Caro destituido como técnico del Celta de Vigo" [López Caro dismissed as Celta de Vigo manager]. La Opinión de Zamora (in Spanish). 11 March 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  13. Moyo, Lovemore (8 October 2012). "Neeskens, beware the dreaded number 7". Kick Off. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  14. "Habas: Yes, I have left". Kick Off. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  15. Sethusha, Kgomotso (13 July 2012). "Habas the new Wits mentor". The Sowetan. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  16. "Wits name Lopez as new coach". SuperSport. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  17. "Barker replaces Habas at Wits". Kick Off. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  18. Calvo, T. (10 October 2014). "Antonio López: "We're calm and ready to face the challenge of the Super League"". Atlético Madrid. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  19. Bera, Kaustav (1 August 2014). "Atletico de Kolkata hire Deshi Bhaktawer as their goalkeeping coach". Goal. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  20. "ISL announces ruling on incidents from FC Goa vs Atlético de Kolkata fixture". Indian Super League. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  21. "AIFF reduces ban on Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Lopez Habas". The Indian Express. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  22. "ISL: Atletico de Kolkata sneak into semifinals after Fikru Teferra's equaliser". NDTV. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  23. "ISL: Atletico de Kolkata beat FC Goa on penalties to enter final". India Today. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  24. "আমি হাবাসের সাহস দেখাতে পারতাম না". আনন্দ বাজার পত্রিকা. 21 December 2014: 19. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. "Substitute Mohammed Rafique hands Atlético de Kolkata the title". Indian Super League. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  26. "FC Pune City appoints Habas as head coach". Goalie 365. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  27. "FC Pune City head coach Antonio Habas got suspended: ISL news 2017". Indian Football Fans. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  28. "Guess who's back??!!!". Twitter. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  29. "ATK best Chennaiyin in Hero ISL 2019–20 final to clinch record third title". Indian Super League. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  30. "Antonio Habas: My special connection with ATK continues". Indian Super League. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  31. Sempértegui, Rafael (4 September 2015). "Antonio López: 'Mientras más problemas hay, llegas más débil'" [Antonio López: ‘The more problems there are, the weaker you arrive’]. La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 March 2020.
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