Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that the most consistent team over the three years of the ISL are now celebrating a second title. Atletico de Kolkata beat Kerala Blasters 4-3 on penalties in the final of the 2016 season to walk away with the trophy, and their victory was a sight to behold.
The game was tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, and the two teams could not be separated even after 30 minutes of extra time on the big night in Kochi. But when push came to shove it was the Kolkata side that held their nerve better, bringing bitter disappointment to the scores of home fans who were screaming their lungs out in support of the Blasters.
It is hard to argue against Kolkata being deserving winners - they have been the most consistent with their squad selection throughout the tournament, and have given immense importance to continuity.
Here are five big reasons why Atletico de Kolkata deserved to be champions of ISL 2016:
#1 Squad depth
The Kolkata squad was full of experienced professionals this season, and they had all their bases covered. They had at least two players capable of coming into the first team for every position, which ensured that the level of performance never dropped.
There was no better example of that than the team that manager Jose Molina put out for the second leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City FC. The Kolkata manager made nine changes, dropping Iain Hume, Helder Postiga and Sameehg Doutie to the bench.
But Kolkata got the result that they needed, with a 0-0 draw to follow up on their 3-2 win at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium.
Kolkata have never really looked like a side out of place. For the final, they were missing Arnab Mondal, who has been a pillar in their defence for the last three years. But at no point did they look like they were ever going to leak goals.
Borja Fernandez, Iain Hume and Helder Postiga kept the squad together, and never let their heads drop even when the going was tough. That is reinforced by the fact that Kolkata never lost a game by more than one goal.
#2 They were remarkably stubborn in their unwillingness to lose
Kolkata lost a grand total of two games all season. Of the 17 games that they played, they drew 10, and that is a sign of a champion side – a side that just refuses to lose.
When it came to the business end of the tournament, Kolkata were thoroughly professional. From the ninth game of the league stage onwards, they were unbeaten – a run that stretched to nine games. Kolkata know how to win championships; they know that it is all about winning the war, not the battles.
For Molina, this consistency was down to the fact that he had a capable squad, not just a capable first XI.
The defence was a huge asset for Kolkata, which conceded just 17 goals in 17 games this season. Only Mumbai City FC, with 11 goals conceded in 16 games, let in fewer goals than Kolkata.
And that is to the eternal credit of Henrique Sereno, who led the Kolkata defence with aplomb.
#3 Smooth transition from Habas to Molina
Antonio Habas won the league in the first season and took Kolkata to the semi-final last year, and it was a big loss for the club to see him move to FC Pune City. But the team had an able replacement in the form of Molina; the Spaniard had won the treble in Hong Kong with Kitchee before the switch to the ISL side
Kolkata have barely looked any different with the change in manager. That is largely down to the fact that they retained the spine of the squad that played under Habas.
Borja Fernandez, Ofentse Nato and Arnab Mondal have been with Kolkata from the outset while Iain Hume, Helder Postiga, Javi Lara, Tiri and Sameehg Doutie were all part of the squad last year. In many ways, only Henrique Sereno and Debjit Majumder were new players out of the ones that played regularly.
Also, Molina’s style was not too different from what Habas employed. Kolkata still kept possession as much as possible, they still moved the ball around patiently and they still never looked in a hurry - much like the first two years.
For the Spanish manager, the biggest advantage has been the fact that the core of the squad is Spanish-speaking as well. That ensured that he could bed in seamlessly, even though his knowledge of English is not in question.
The presence of Borja, Lara and Tiri, along with Postiga - who has played a lot of football in Spain - helped the manager immensely.
#4 Indian players' contributions
Arnab Mondal, Prabir Das and Pritam Kotal have been mainstays for Kolkata at the back, but their best Indian player this season was arguably Debjit Majumder.
The Mohun Bagan goalkeeper played all but two of Kolkata's games this season and was a steady player in goal. His excellence between the sticks ensured that Molina could play an extra foreign outfield player.
Debjit kept four clean sheets and made the all-important save in the penalty shootout in the final. That might have been a lucky one as it hit his foot, but it was a fitting end to a stunning season for Debjit.
Prabir, meanwhile, has been the find of the season for Kolkata. He showed the ability to play in both full-back positions, where he put in consistent performances all season.
The two young wingers, Abinash Ruidas and Bidyananda Singh, also had a terrific season for Kolkata. With such a strong Indian core, there is no reason why Kolkata cannot carry on with their success for a long time to come.
#5 Ability to handle pressure
Kolkata found themselves in difficult situations on many occasions throughout the season but came through most of them unscathed. There were a few striking examples in the knockout stages that exemplified Kolkata's resilience.
First, in the semifinal against Mumbai, Robert Lalthlamuana was sent off in the second leg just before half-time. That meant Kolkata had to play almost 50 minutes with a man less, guarding only a one-goal lead.
But they showed incredible character and didn't concede a goal, with their clean sheet ensuring a place in the final.
In the final, Sereno went off injured in extra-time, but Kolkata took the game to penalties. Hume missed the first penalty, but the four others who took the penalties dispatched their kicks with aplomb.
When the going got tough, the tough get going - Atletico de Kolkata perfectly exemplified that saying this season, and their victory was an apt reward for their efforts.
