By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
AmaZulu Football Club have announced former Real Madrid assistant Pablo Franco Martin as the club’s new head coach.
The club announced the appointment of Martin on a three-year deal.
“Following an intense two weeks after the announcement to appoint the new Head Coach of Usuthu, Club President Sandile Zungu has today roped in the services of Spaniard, Pablo Franco Martin on a 36-month long deal,” the club stated.
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President Sandile Zungu announces the new Head Coach of AmaZulu Football Club. It is signed on dotted lines and he will be landing on our shores in the next couple of days ????#HebeUsuthu#UsuthuTogether pic.twitter.com/ISxsKp4YVP
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) June 20, 2023
AmaZulu follow in the steps of Orlando Pirates, who appointed Spanish international Jose Riveiro, that has since delivered two trophies and secured Champions League football in his first season.
Born in Madrid, he became assistant coach at Spanish lower league Coria at the age of 28 and after one season moved to fellow minnows Fuenlabrada, again as assistant.
He got his big break as a head coach when he joined Santa Eugenia in the local Madrid league, leading them to 8th and 14th in his two seasons with a 38 per cent win record.
Franco moved to Illescas and spent the 2012/13 season there, before he was on the move yet gain to Puertollano in the fourth-tier of Spanish football, where he claimed the league title in an outstanding campaign in which he won 31 out of 38 games, scoring 88 goals and conceding only 18.
Martin has experience on the African continent after coaching Simba SC between November 2021 and May 2022. Before that he worked at Al-Qadsia in Kuwait for two years, which followed a brief stint as assistant to Julen Lopetegui at Real Madrid.