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Even after 21 riveting game weeks of all-encompassing football, Indian Super League's (ISL) crème de la crème clubs are still cramped cheek-by-jowl in the standings. With two points separating league-leaders Mumbai City FC and still hopeful Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the last matchday where the two heavyweights collide will effectively play out as a cup finale.
But narratives aren't just built around black and white, success and failure, silverware and despair, the plot lines run deeper. In the Islanders camp, they've unearthed a diligent tactician in Petr Kratky who is steadily reforming the club's previously ostentatious ethos into a steadfast bottom-up approach. Meanwhile, for the Mariners, a League Shield victory holding the hands of their old master Antonio Lopez Habas would appear as a pat on the back for relying on invaluable experience.
Amid all the overbearing narratives, there is a largely neglected homecoming that will unfold in the most hostile circumstances on Monday, April 15. José Luis Espinosa Arroyo or Tiri as we have come to know him, will take center stage on a pitch and in front of emotionally charged fans, he had once called his own.
After his three-year stint with Jamshedpur FC, the Spanish center-back joined the Mohun Bagan SG, then called ATK Mohun Bagan, in the summer of 2020. His previous experience with ATK meant the defender had already picked up on the high-octane emotions of Kolkata football, and exposure to fans of the legacy club only strengthened his feelings. But his spell with the Mariners was muddled when he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) ahead of the 2022-23 season. The unfortunate injury kept the 32-year-old sidelined for over a year.
When Tiri jumped ship to join the Islanders before the 2023-24 season, months after returning to action, Mohun Bagan were the defending ISL champions then. Why would he decide to move away from a winning project? Well, the MCFC defender answers in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda.
"It wasn't easy to leave Mohun Bagan, I was comfortable, the fans loved me and my intention was always to be able to renew my contract. But in football, when you come back from a serious injury and a club like Mumbai City FC offers to sign you, you can't turn it down," Tiri said.
Incidentally, as the Spaniard stands only a step away from clinching his maiden ISL League Shield, there's one final hurdle in sight - his former club. A defensive specimen, a meticulous servant, and a gargantuan character, Tiri has lived through plenty of euphoric moments in the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. On Monday, he returns to the same stadium, where his actions will ultimately decide whether he wipes the smile off the faces that once roared him on, or whether he sits sulking on the blades of grass he is no stranger to.
But without letting the overbearing nostalgia overwhelm him, Tiri is eager to deliver what he excels in - a challenge.
"Without a doubt, I have a lot of love for them and their fans for how they have treated me, but as everyone knows, when the referee blows his whistle, there are no friends on the field and it doesn't matter what is around, we play 11 against 11 and the best one will win," the former Atletico Madrid center-back averred.
Excerpts from Sportskeeda's interview with Mumbai City FC defender Tiri ahead of crucial clash against Mohun Bagan SG
Question: Before I delve deeper, Tiri, the club is just a step away from clinching the ISL Shield. Could you reflect on the season so far for Mumbai City FC?
Tiri: I think the season has not been easy for us from the beginning. There were many changes. Change of coach, players who left, players who were seriously injured, but despite so many changes we are still fighting.
Q: Almost a year away from football with an ACL injury, then a change of clubs, a change of coach mid-season, and yet here you are, just a point away from clinching your ISL League Shield. It’s been an incredible journey for you, Tiri, could you talk a little about it from your point of view?
Tiri: When you get seriously injured, you have to be mentally strong. I had help at home from family and friends, but my goal was to be able to play again before the season ended, and I did it! After that the opportunities came by and one of them was Mumbai City, who valued the years of experience I had playing in the league even before my injury, that is why I came to Mumbai.
We are still a step away from the title, but we have Mohun Bagan ahead of us, playing at home with their fans and it is not going to be easy.
Q: As we all know, the recovery process after any injury, especially an ACL tear, is very lonely and arduous. Talk a bit about that period on the sidelines.
Tiri: As I said before, you have to have willpower, discipline, and be mentally strong to come back. I was clear about my goal and here I am!
Q: What influenced you to join Mumbai City ahead of the 2023-24 season, as ATK Mohun Bagan, who you were playing for then, had just become the ISL champions?
Tiri: Only the people around me know why I made my decision, and I'll explain it to you: It wasn't easy to leave Mohun Bagan, I was comfortable, the fans loved me and my intention was always to be able to renew my contract. But in football, when you come back from a serious injury and a club like Mumbai City FC offers to sign you, you can't turn it down.
Mumbai took an interest in me once I made my debut in the Super Cup, and I am enormously grateful for the opportunity they have given me to show that I am still the same as before the injury. But I am always grateful to Mohun Bagan.
Q: Whenever there’s a change in coach mid-season, it’s difficult for the players to adapt immediately. Could you talk a little bit about that? And as a senior player, how do you handle the dressing room and the younger players during the period?
Tiri: When Des (Buckingham) left us, it wasn't easy, but we must highlight the work of our assistant coaches - Anthony Fernandes, Hiroshi Miyazawa, and everyone around us. The team worked and gave everything in every training session and every game and we have shown that despite everything we are a strong team.
Q: Could you brief me about the changes that Petr Kratky has brought to the club and the approach of the team?
Tiri: With Petr, the team is showing that no matter who plays, we all go together and support each other for the good of the team. Sometimes it is not possible to play well, and sometimes there are mistakes, but the hard work and attitude are non-negotiable, and with him, we are a more difficult team to beat.
Q: Despite a change of coach, losing momentum in the middle, and ample senior players departing, the Islanders are still gunning for glory. Being part of the team and system, what do you think makes the team navigate through difficulties with such ease?
Tiri: We are a team with a strong mentality, despite so many problems, and so many changes, we have continued to work hard and have continued to adapt to the circumstances.
Q: The final league clash is incidentally against your former club. A word on your time at the club and how it feels to square off against them in such a pivotal fixture.
Tiri: I can't say anything negative for Mohun Bagan, nor would I for Jamshedpur. I am grateful for the opportunities and love they have given me during these previous years. Without a doubt, I have a lot of love for them and their fans for how they have treated me, but as everyone knows, when the referee blows his whistle, there are no friends on the field and it doesn't matter what is around, we play 11 against 11 and the best one will win.
Q: Mumbai have conceded just 17 goals throughout the season, the best record in the league. How do you look at those numbers, and in general what do you opine about the team’s backline?
Tiri: That the team has conceded 17 goals is thanks to everyone, from the striker to the goalkeeper, not only the defenders or the attackers. Those numbers are thanks to the work of the entire team.
Q: While the league stage is coming to a close, it means the start of the playoffs. You’ve plenty of experience when it comes to some high-octane knockout matches, so how do you view Mumbai’s chances?
Tiri: I don't like to talk about the playoffs before playing our last game, which is a final. You have to go game by game because here, anything can happen! But we will work and give our best in every game.
Q: You’ve spent close to a decade in the ISL now, Tiri, who has been the most difficult Indian forward you’ve come across?
Tiri: In all these years I have faced many of them, but the one who is still active since I arrived without a doubt is Sunil Chhetri. However, I have to highlight that many young forwards continue to emerge who are really surprising me.
Q: Finally, as I mentioned earlier, in the past two years, it has been an incredible journey for you, Tiri, with the injury, and then a blistering return. But what has been the greatest lesson this period has taught you?
Tiri: I would highlight two things. The first is my mentality. I set a goal and achieved it with discipline, will, and great desire. Not everything was pretty, there were hard days, tears, anger, and disappointment with myself when I thought I wasn't moving forward, but they made me see that every step back or forward always counts. And the second: In life, you have to make important decisions with your head and sometimes not with your heart.
