Maccabi adds Spanish flair

NORTH Caulfield Maccabi Football Club has finally made the much-anticipated appointment of its new senior coach, with Spaniard Juan Mascuñano set to take the reins for season 2013.

Mascuñano will join the club with 16 years of experience in his native country, as well as already having boasted several roles with academy sides in some of Melbourne’s best-known clubs in his eight months in Australia.

“To have someone of Juan’s quality as head coach is tremendous,” North Caulfield’s director of football and outgoing coach Andrew Freund told The AJN.

“He is extremely qualified, experienced and will bring new ideas and coaching methods to our club.”

Mascuñano has played a key role in the development of several stars, including Spanish under-20 international player Ruben Molero, Ecuadorian representative Fernando Guerrero, and Ernesto Galán, who plays for La Liga side Espanyol.

He has also studied alongside Spanish icon Pep Guardiola, who was head coach at FC Barcelona for five years, and was invited to study the training methods of Real Madrid coach José Mourinho in 2011. Most recently he coached Spanish third division side Club Deportivo Huracán Z.

“Spanish football is all the rage at the moment and to have a coach that has worked and learnt with the world’s best is sure to leave its mark on our club,” said Freund, who will work with Mascuñano as his assistant coach.

Club president Morris Ritz added: “We have a very young group of players that will benefit from Juan’s proven record in nurturing and developing elite youth.”

AJN Staff

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