Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency.
Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Durand, East Bengal coach Antonio Lopez Habas has made it clear several times in his behavior and statements that he is quite upset with the Kolkata Football League or Shield game. Habas burst into anger after losing to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Shield final derby. He said on Instagram that he is being treated like an animal. In fact, it is not difficult to understand that his anger is not for himself. He is looking after the interests of his footballers. The fatigue of playing frequent matches can rob footballers of their ability to give their best and increase injuries. Habas always does not give importance to any match other than ISL or ACL matches. Playing one domestic tournament after another does not match his thinking. And so, after raising the issue of expressing his anger after the Shield, Habas pointed to the zero with his hand and said, "The receipts are zero and now we have to start from zero again."
Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency.
East Bengal will face Iraq's Al Shorta FC at the Yuva Bharati Stadium in the second match of the AFC Champions League Tier Two group on Tuesday. East Bengal will start their ISL campaign away against Chennai FC on October 18. Al Shorta is in a good position in the group after defeating Oman's Al Seeb 1-0 in the first match. There, the red and yellow missed the opportunity to stay at the top of the group after leading by 2 goals in the first match against Jordan's Al Hussein in a 2-2 draw. And so East Bengal's head Sir Habas clearly stated, "There is fatigue from playing matches frequently, injury problems in the team. However, we will have to shake these things off and jump to win against Al Shorta by utilizing the home field advantage.
Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency.
Al Shorta is a good team. In other words, the toughest team in this group. I have seen their game. I will analyze it and decide my strategy accordingly. Playing in the ACL tournament is a big deal. It is important to do well there. If we do badly in the Al Shorta match, we will lag behind a lot in ACL 2.’
Habas is reluctant to see the presence of 7 foreigners or World Cup players in the Al Shorta team separately. He said, ‘I do not see local and foreign players separately. Even in my team. A local footballer can play better than a foreigner. The Al Shorta team is important to me. To get 3 points from the match, we have to stop them.’
Despite leading by 2 goals against Al Hussain, we missed out on a win by conceding 2 goals. In the Shield match, we also had to concede a goal and lose the match to Mohun Bagan. Is it necessary to strengthen the defensive organization to prevent something like this from happening against Al Shorta? Habas replied, ‘I am not willing to blame only the defense for conceding goals. The whole team plays a role in winning or losing. I hope that all the players of the team will unite and fight for victory in the Al Shorta match.’
Defender Jay Gupta scored a goal in his debut match in the red and yellow jersey of Yuvbharat. He has now become one of the pillars of Habas’ defense and an attacking weapon. Not only does he play in the jersey of the club, but he has also given eye-catching performances in matches against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay for the Indian team. The question was asked to Jay, is he overloaded after playing so many matches for the club and the country? Does playing in different positions in the club and the national team create problems? At the same time, is the experience of playing in FIFA friendly matches for India giving him extra motivation in the Al Shorta match? Jay replied, ‘Undoubtedly, I have gained valuable experience by playing for the Indian team against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. At the same time, my confidence has increased. I will try to use that passion in the Al-Shorta match to win. Even though I play a lot of matches, I don't feel overloaded. If the coach plays, I will give my best on the field. I pray for the blessings of Maa Durga to win the match and score goals.'
Coach Habas did not use Anwar, the main pillar of the defense, in the Shield final derby. If Anwar returns to the stopper position in the Al-Shorta match, the defense will be more solid and confident.