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After over 100 matches spread across eight months and 11 venues, the 2023-24 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) has its league champion - Mohun Bagan SG. The century-old club added yet another feather to its cap when it lifted its very first ISL League Winners' Shield on Monday, April 15.
The Green and Maroon Brigade had to play a veritable final at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan with Mumbai City FC for the title and emerged victorious by a slim scoreline of 2-1.
Liston Colaco gave the home side the lead before Jason Cummings doubled it in the second half. A late Lallianzuala Chhangte goal could not save Mumbai's blushes as the Islanders went down to the Mariners.
However, the journey had begun much earlier, all the way back in September when the Mariners looked like a very different team than they do now. Managerial changes, player transfers, and nail-biting football all culminated in their deciding final night victory at the City of Joy.
The Juan Ferrando Era
Juan Ferrando had been given the reigns at the club in the middle of the 2021-22 season from Antonio Lopez Habas and the Spaniard had done a good job till this season. He won the 2022-23 ISL Cup with Bagan and also the 2023 Durand Cup.
Things looked exceedingly good as the ISL kicked off too, with four wins from the first four games. However, it was the AFC Cup that impacted Juan Ferrando's men and their performances. Consecutive losses to Maziya S&RC, Basundhara Kings, and Odisha FC meant that it was nothing short of continental humiliation.
The club was knocked out of the group stage of the AFC Cup for the first time since their inclusion in the ISL and a loss to Kerala Blasters in the league meant that Juan Ferrando's time at the club was over.
To ensure that the Mariners did not miss out on the only trophy they were still in the run for, the ISL, the management appointed seasoned veteran Antonio Lopez Habas as the new head coach of the team.
Habas' return and the team's resurgence
It wasn't too easy early doors in Habas' current stint. The team picked up a couple of victories but fell short in the most crucial match of all - the Kolkata Derby. A humiliating 1-3 loss meant that the club was knocked out of the Super Cup, which their arch-rivals East Bengal FC went on to lift.
However, the Mariners remained consistent in the league, with Habas making a season-defining change to the squad. Taking a major gamble, the Spanish tactician replaced Hugo Boumous for the inclusion of Joni Kauko, who had been out of footballing action for almost two years.
And boy, did it create an impact. Kauko's addition added grit and flair to Mohun Bagan's midfield as they transitioned from defence to attack effortlessly. They remained undefeated under Habas in the ISL and swept away other teams with ease.
However, on the other hand, Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC were gaining rhythm too as the league became a three-way race. Bagan's 2-3 defeat to Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai's 2-1 win over Odisha meant that the Islanders would go into the final matchday with a 2-point lead over the Mariners.
The air crackled with electricity as the two teams met at the Salt Lake Stadium in the perfectly set-up finale to finish off a breathtaking league title race. The match saw end-to-end action but it had to be the Mariners, in front of their fans, who took the Shield home.
