Bhubaneswar, July 20 -- Odisha FC on Tuesday appointed Francisco Kiko Ramirez Gonzalez as the head coach ahead of the upcoming eighth season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The 51-year-old Spaniard has signed for the Bhubaneswar-based franchise for a year with an option to extend after the season.

After his retirement from professional football as a player, Ramirez started his coaching career with Spanish club Gimnastic as its assistant coach first in 2002 and then as its youth coach. In 2010, he joined Pobla Mafumet and returned to Gimnastic again in 2012. He has also coached other Spanish clubs like CE L'Hospitalet, CD Castellon, and CE Sabadell. He was the second coach at Nastic de Tarragona in the first division in Spain as well. H...