Abhra's technical guidance was best exemplified by the rise of Priyansh Dube, who flourished under Abhra’s coaching to record an incredible 10 clean sheets in 18 games during the last RFDL season.
Jose Francisco Molina left Mohun Bagan in November 2025 after a successful tenure, during which he helped the club clinch the Maiden ISL double in its history. Mohun Bagan were the best defensive team in the league that season, and Vishal Kaith recorded the most clean sheets in the campaign.
When Molina joined Bagan, he brought 3 Spaniards to the City of Joy. Assistant Coach Igor Tasevski, Fitness Trainer Sergio Garcia Toribio and Goalkeeper Coach Fran Martinez Nion joined the Bagan coaching team.
Vishal Kaith had a record-breaking campaign under Fran Martinez Nion's guidance.
After Molina left Bagan, he recently took over the Honduras National Team as the head coach, and Ex-Bagan Assistant Manager Igor Tasevski had already joined him in the North American Country's coaching setup. Molina wanted Fran as the Goalkeeper manager, and when Fran expressed his desire to the Bagan management, they allowed him to pursue this new challenge.
"I have been very happy [at Mohun Bagan], but new Challenges await. I wish all the Mariners the very best from the bottom of my Heart." Fran said to MBFT.
Update: হন্ডুরাস জাতীয় দলে হোসে মোলিনার সাথে যোগ দিতে মোহনবাগান ছাড়লেন স্প্যানিশ গোলকিপার কোচ ফ্র্যান মার্টিনেজ নিওন। আপাতত তার জায়গায় বিশাল কাইথ'দের তালিম দেবেন রিজার্ভ দলের গোলকিপার কোচ অভ্র মন্ডল।
— MBFT (@MBFT89) March 12, 2026
{ Joy Mohun Bagan, MBFT } pic.twitter.com/C3hOnOJwdy
We at MBFT wish Fran Martinez Nion good luck on his new adventure. He will always remain a part of this legendary club's history.
In this situation, Head Coach Sergio Lobera has promoted the Reserve team's Goalkeeper Coach Abhra Mondal as the Goalkeeper Coach of the Mohun Bagan senior team.
Abhra Mondal is a name that carries a lot of weight in Kolkata football circles. Most fans remember him as a very dependable goalkeeper who spent many years at the top level, especially during his two different stints with East Bengal. He first came onto the scene back in 2005 and quickly became a familiar face in big tournaments like the Federation Cup. One of the best phases of his career actually happened away from Kolkata when he played for Pune FC. During the 2011-12 season, he was a key reason behind their massive eleven-match unbeaten streak. He was easily one of the most consistent keepers in the I-League at that time, though a tough shin injury eventually slowed him down. Later on, he brought that experience to the ISL with Bengaluru FC and also played for Chennai City, while even winning the Santosh Trophy for the West Bengal state team.
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| Abhra Mondal Playing for Mohun Bagan Legends in a Friendly Game |
After hanging up his gloves, Abhra didn't step away from the pitch but instead shifted his focus to coaching. He started this new chapter back where it all began, working as the goalkeeping coach for East Bengal in 2019. A few years later, he joined the staff at Diamond Harbour FC to work under Kibu Vicuña, helping their keepers as the club climbed up through the Calcutta Football League.
After making a significant impact since joining the Mohun Bagan Super Giant youth setup in 2023, Abhra Mondal has officially reached a new milestone. As of March 12, the local veteran has been promoted to First Team Goalkeeper Coach for the Mariners.
During his tenure with the U-17 and U-19 squads, Abhra’s mentorship proved transformative, particularly in high-stakes environments like the AIFF Elite League and the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL). His technical guidance was best exemplified by the rise of Priyansh Dube, who flourished under Abhra’s coaching to record an incredible 10 clean sheets in 18 games during the last RFDL season.
Now, Abhra brings that same grit and experience—forged in the fires of Kolkata derbies—to the senior squad. It is a well-deserved step up for a coach who has already proven he can turn promising prospects into elite-level shot-stoppers.
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