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Antonio Lopez Habas doesn’t mince his words. The current ATK Mohun Bagan FC head coach is undeniably the most successful coach in the Indian Super League’s seven-year history. He has won the title twice with the erstwhile ATK FC (in 2014 and 2019-20).
He also guided ATK Mohun Bagan (the merger between ATK FC and Mohun Bagan) to last season’s final, which they lost 1-2 against Mumbai City FC.
The Green-and-Maroons will kick start the eighth edition of the ISL by taking on Kerala Blasters FC on November 19.
Addressing the Press virtually on Wednesday, Habas spoke on a wide range of topics. It included matters like ATK Mohun Bagan’s pre-season preparations, star defender Sandesh Jhingan’s absence, their foreign contingent, and the main contenders for the ISL-8 title. Here are the excerpts:-
1. On not playing any pre-season friendly ahead of ISL-8
While all other ISL teams are busy playing pre-season friendly matches against each other, ATKMB are yet to play one. Habas, though, seems unconcerned about the lack of playing time for his players heading into the league.
“I don’t have any problem [regarding not playing practice matches]. Last year also we didn’t play any practice matches, but we reached the final. I prefer having the boys play the main tournament in the best condition,” the 64-year old opined.
2. On the Kolkata derby against SC East Bengal
The epic rivalry between Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal has been the sustaining force of Indian football for the last 100 years. In 2020, the Kolkata derby entered a new era as both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal made their way into the ISL in their new avatars (ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal).
The Mariners emerged victorious in both legs last season, leaving the Torchbearers winless in the Kolkata derby since February 2019. In the upcoming ISL season, the first leg of the derby will be played at Vasco's Tilak Maidan Stadium on November 27.
On being asked if Jose Manuel Diaz’s SCEB look more organized this time around, Habas nonchalantly replied,
“I don’t want to talk about them [SCEB] at the moment. The derby is still a few days away. We can think about it later.”
3. On the 0-6 drubbing against FC Nasaf in the AFC Cup Inter-Zone semi-final
ATKMB FC got direct entry into the group stage of this year’s AFC Cup, courtesy Mohun Bagan’s 2019-20 I-League triumph. Habas and co. reached knockouts undefeated by virtue of topping Group D.
However, they suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf in the single-leg Inter-Zone semi-final on September 22 – a result that exposed their defensive frailties.
The former Bolivia and Valencia coach wants to put the disappointing result behind and focus on the road ahead.
“I don’t want to remember what happened in the past. My whole career has been about looking ahead,” he said.
4. On ATKMB’s defence sans Sandesh Jhingan
The former Sevilla defender was also asked if star Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan’s absence would add to his side's defensive woes.
Speaking about his philosophy and Jhingan, who is currently plying his trade for Croatia’s first-tier club HNK Šibenik, Habas said,
“I believe in striking a balance between attack and defence. We’ve got many fantastic players in our defensive unit like Pritam [Kotal], Subhasish [Bose], Sumit [Rathi] and [Deepak] Tangri. Tiri is another important player for us; I’ve won a lot of trophies with him. Carl McHugh is there too. Hopefully his [Jhingan’s] absence will not be an issue.”
5. On ATKMB’s foreign contingent for ISL-8
The Kolkata-based club possesses one of the most high-profile foreign contingents in the ISL. In addition to the quartet of Roy Krishna, David Williams, Tiri and McHugh, which they have inherited from ATK FC, the signings of midfielders Hugo Boumous and Joni Kauko are expected to bolster their line-up.
While the French attacking midfielder Boumous is an ISL star in his own right, “utility player” Kauko represented Finland in the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.
As per the new regulations of the ISL, a team can field only four foreigners in the playing XI. Habas exuded confidence when quizzed about ATKMB’s foreign contingent in general and the Boumous-Kauko pair in particular.
“I’ll pick my four foreigners depending on their form and the match situation at hand. I may have an idea about my first XI now, but in football things can change quickly. It’s always good to have healthy competition in the squad. I have full faith in the boys and I’m sure both Hugo and Joni will add value to the team.”
6. On the main contenders for the ISL-8 title
The ISL coach went on to name a few teams that he thinks can give his side a tough challenge in the title race.
“In this tournament, a lot of teams rely heavily on their foreign players. Odisha FC, Jamshedpur FC, Mumbai City FC and FC Goa look particularly good on paper, but in this sport it’s impossible to predict the winner beforehand,” Habas said.
He further added:
“We respect our opponents, but we want to win the trophy. I hate to lose.”
