New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS): Indian Super League (ISL) club NorthEast United FC on Thursday appointed Italian Vincenzo Alberto Annese as their new head coach

The NorthEast United FC confirmed the appointment through their social media handles.

"Join us in welcoming our new Head Coach, Vincenzo Alberto Annese," the club said in a tweet.

Former Gokulam Kerala FC head coach Annese will take over from predecessor Marco Balbul, who parted ways with the Highlanders earlier in the day.

Annese is a well known figure in Indian football, having guided Gokulam Kerala FC to back-to-back I-League titles from 2020-22. They were the first Indian club to achieve this feat, and under his guardianship, the side also featured in the AFC Cup, where they bowed out in the group stages. He then parted ways with Gokulam Kerala FC in June.

The 38-year old has plenty of experience when it comes to coaching, having plied his trade in countries such as Italy, Estonia, Ghana, Indonesia, Latvia, Palestine, and Kosovo. At the international level, he has also coached the Armenian under-19 national team and the Belize national team.

NorthEast United FC will hope that the appointment of Annese will help them change their fortunes as they sit at the bottom of the ISL 2022-23 standings. The Guwahati-based club have been winless in eight games and face Chennaiyin FC next on Saturday.