New season, new name and renewed hope. That’s ‘champions’ ATK Mohun Bagan for you in ISL VII, which begins in Goa from Friday, the first major sporting event to be played in the country since the pandemic began.
With last season’s champions ATK joining hands with I-League winners Mohun Bagan for a tango, it’s a win-win situation for everyone — ATK principal owner Sanjiv Goenka, the organisers FSDL and the broadcasters. It brings a whole legion of Mohun Bagan fans in front of the television (this ISL being a closed-door affair), which could bolster viewership.
ATK Mohun Bagan begin their campaign at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim with a match against Kerala Blasters whose coach Kibu Vicuna masterminded Bagan’s I-League triumph in March this year.
ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Lopez Habas though had a word of caution for his compatriot. “Vicuna did a good job at Mohun Bagan but ISL is a different competition,” he said.
Squad depth
On paper, ATK Mohun Bagan look the most balanced. They have retained the core team, which played so brilliantly in the last season. The likes of Roy Krishna, David Williams, Edu Garcia, Javi Hernández, Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das and Arindam Bhattacharya are all there. By roping in Sandesh Jhingan, ATK Mohun Bagan have added solidity at the back.
“We have a very good squad. In this situation, it is very important to have depth in the squad. We need rotation in this season more than any other season,” Antonio said.
Jhingan factor
There will be special attention on Sandesh Jhingan, the talented defender who is making a comeback from injury after over a year. Antonio though did not sound worried. “Sandesh has been out of action for a long time but other players also haven’t played for around six-seven months,” he said.
With Jhingan and Tiri coming on board, young Sumit Rathi, who was outstanding as the left wingback, might have to spend most of the time on the bench. Prabir Das though looks to be a sure starter in most of matches. He was a livewire down the right flank last season and had built a good understanding with Roy Krishna and David Williams.
Lack of practice
Surprisingly, ATK Mohun Bagan did not play any friendlies in the build-up to ISL VII.
“We didn’t consider it necessary to play friendlies in pre-season because this is a different and special pre-season. I think it is more difficult to play against your own teammates than opponents,” Antonio reasoned.
He has a point, but if results do not come, particularly on November 27 against SC East Bengal, Antonio will have to look for answers. Being an ATK manager was different, but ATK Mohun Bagan are a difficult proposition altogether.
