Bashundhara Kings are preparing to welcome Argentine tactician Roberto Carlos Mario Gomez as their new head coach after a deal with Brazilian Sergio Farias collapsed earlier this month. The five-time Bangladesh Premier League champions believe Gomez’s global pedigree can push them towards greater heights in domestic and continental football.
A former defender, Gomez enjoyed his playing days at Ferro Carril Oeste, where he lifted two Argentine league titles in 1982 and 1984. His transition to coaching began in 1995 when he joined Hector Cuper as assistant at Lanus before moving to Spain. He was part of the Mallorca bench that reached the Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup finals in the late 1990s, before following Cuper to Valencia, where the side reached back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals with stars like Gaizka Mendieta, Pablo Aimar and Claudio Lopez.
In 2001, Gomez stepped into the Inter Milan dugout alongside Cuper, rubbing shoulders with legends such as Ronaldo Nazario, Christian Vieri, Hernan Crespo and Javier Zanetti. That European experience shaped his coaching philosophy before he branched out to lead clubs across Argentina including Lanus, Quilmes, Belgrano, Atletico Tucumán and Gimnasia La Plata.
Gomez’s coaching map also stretches far beyond Argentina. He managed in Greece with Asteras Tripolis, in Ecuador with Deportivo Cuenca, in Hong Kong with South China, in Malaysia with Johor Darul Ta’zim and across Indonesia with clubs like Persib Bandung, Borneo FC and Arema FC. His crowning glory came in 2015 when he guided Johor Darul Ta’zim to the AFC Cup title, making them the first Malaysian side to win a continental trophy. That same season, his team completed a domestic treble with the league, FA Cup and Charity Shield.
At 68, Gomez brings with him a career steeped in experience and tactical innovation. His arrival comes at a time when Bashundhara Kings, who lifted both the Independence Cup and Federation Cup last season but fell short in the league, are chasing an unprecedented clean sweep of all five domestic trophies. They also aim to leave a mark in the AFC Challenge League.
For those ambitions, the Dhaka giants have put their faith in Roberto Carlos Mario Gomez, a coach who has spent decades at football’s highest levels and carries the aura of a man accustomed to winning.