Panama name coaching staff ahead of friendly with India in Bengaluru
Panama’s national team will meet India for the first time at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on 25th September 2026, and the Panamanian coaching team accompanying head coach Thomas Christiansen has been outlined ahead of the friendly in the Sept-Oct FIFA International Window.
The fixture on 25th September is India and Panama’s inaugural encounter and falls within the September-October FIFA window. Panama, a Central American nation, has appeared at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2026, exiting at the group stage on both occasions and scoring two goals in 2018 and none in 2026. Panama are currently ranked 44th in the FIFA World Rankings, making them the lowest-ranked nation India will face during this international window. Ticket prices for the India vs Panama match start from ₹499 and go up to ₹9,999, with multiple seating and VIP options available.
Thomas Christiansen is confirmed as Panama’s head coach; he was born to a Spanish mother in Denmark and raised in Copenhagen, earned two caps for Spain and scored one international goal. Christiansen holds a UEFA A level coaching license and has been a professional manager for the past 12 years. His playing career was largely in Spain, beginning at Barcelona B (including three consecutive loan seasons), moving on to Real Oviedo and Villarreal in Spain’s first division, then spells in Greece and Norway and final years in Germany with Bochun and Hannover; he retired in 2007 and later worked as Assistant Manager at Al-Jazira Club in the UAE before managing APOEL and AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, Leeds United in the 2017-18 Championship season, Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and taking charge of Panama in 2020.
Javi Sanchez, a former FC Barcelona right-back and La Masia product, is Christiansen’s assistant after joining the Panama staff in 2021. Sanchez played professionally for 20 years in Spain’s first division with clubs including FC Barcelona, Real Betis and Osasuna and has only limited prior coaching experience. He previously worked as an assistant at Cordoba CF in 2013-14 and at RCD Mallorca in 2015 before a period out of coaching prior to his Panama appointment.
Daniel Blanco, a 36-year-old former Venezuelan footballer, is one of the newer members of Christiansen’s backroom team. Blanco spent most of his playing career in Venezuela and finished his playing days in Panama, notably spending 2012-2016 at Metropolitanos FC. After retirement he remained at Potros del Este as a video analyst then assistant coach, became the club’s manager for the 2021-22 season, and joined Panama’s staff as a video analyst before being promoted to assistant coach in 2024.
Donaldo, described in the staff profile as a Panamanian goalkeeping legend, earned over 30 caps for his country across more than a decade as a goalkeeper and spent most of his club career in Panama with a spell in Honduras and a return to Atlético Veragüense. He served as Panama’s goalkeeping coach from 2007 to 2013, had a two-year break, returned to coach at CA Independiente where he was promoted to full-time manager for a season, had a six-month spell at CD Universitario, and resumed the national team goalkeeping coach role in 2019.
José, a 41-year-old Spanish physiotherapist, has worked with the Panama national team under Christiansen since 2024 and previously served two years as physio for the El Salvador national team before being appointed as physiotherapist for the Saudi Arabian national team under Roberto Mancini. Alejandro, a 37-year-old video analyst with a UEFA Pro coaching license, joined Panama’s staff in late 2024 after working at Real Zaragoza from 2016 to 2024.
India will host Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on 25th September 2026; for ongoing coverage and updates, Khel Now directs readers to its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube channels and to its Android and iOS apps.