QUITO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Carlos Ischia was presented on Monday as the new coach of Barcelona Sporting Club, Ecuador's most popular soccer team, for the 2014 season of the local tournament.

The Club's president Antonio Noboa made the announcement in a press conference held in Barcelona's Monumental stadium in the southwestern city of Guayaquil.

"It was an old desire to have (Carlos) Ischia," said Noboa after presenting the new coach, who signed an one-year contract on Thursday.

The coach, who arrived Wednesday in Ecuador, said he was pleased to lead one of the teams with more fans and national titles in the Ecuadorian soccer.

Ischia also said that the team's pre-season will be held in January in the"National Team's House in Quito.

The Argentine coach will replace his compatriot Luis Soler, who did not reach an economic agreement with the team's board to continue leading the team, already qualified to play the 2014 Copa Sudamericana.

Ischia has led several Argentine teams such as Velez Sarfield, Boca Juniors, Racing Club, as well as others in Colombia and Mexico.

In the Ecuadorian league he was champion with Deportivo Quito in 2011, the fifth title for the team.