Antonio López Habas has officially left Inter Kashi just a day before the club's scheduled match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The Spanish coach announced his departure on social media on Monday.
His exit comes at a difficult time for Inter Kashi, which recently won the I-League title under his coaching and secured promotion to the Indian Super League for the first time in the club’s history.
Following Habas's departure, assistant coach Abhijit Mondal will take charge of the team for Tuesday's match.
Habas points to 'broken promises'
On Monday, Habas shared a picture on Instagram with the message: "End of the chapter. Mission accomplished."
In the caption, he wrote, "Trust is built through keeping commitments, and unfortunately, when those commitments are not fulfilled, trust is lost."
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Though he did not directly name anyone, the statement appeared to indicate dissatisfaction with the club management.
Habas also highlighted the achievements during his tenure at Inter Kashi.
He wrote, "Together, we achieved the objectives set by the management: winning the I-League, earning promotion to the ISL, and ensuring the club remains in the top tier of professional football in India."
Salary issues surfaced earlier
Questions over the club's internal situation had emerged earlier this year. In April, after a match against Punjab FC, Habas publicly spoke about financial and administrative difficulties inside the club.
At that time, he said, "I want to sincerely thank all my players and staff for their respect, commitment, hard work, and professionalism throughout this journey."
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Football experts believe those ongoing concerns eventually led to his resignation.
Habas remains one of the most successful foreign coaches in Indian football. He is the only coach to have won both the I-League and the ISL titles. He guided Atlético de Kolkata to the ISL title in the league's inaugural season and later helped Mohun Bagan Super Giant win it in 2024.
Many football fans were looking forward to seeing Habas face his former club, Mohun Bagan. However, his sudden exit has ended that possibility.