ISL 2021-22: Antonio Habas set to step down – ATK Mohun Bagan part ways with their Spanish head coach Antonio Lopez Habas after their recent struggle in the Indian Super League. The Spaniard who has been at the helm of the club for some time now has reportedly decided to step down from his role, a source close to the development has informed InsideSport.IN
Antonio Habas wants ATK Mohun Bagan to recover their lost identity ASAP 😨#JoyMohunBagan #ISL
— GOAL India (@Goal_India) December 16, 2021
The Mariners had a great start to this season’s Indian Super League with a win against Kerala Blasters followed by, a brilliant win against arch-rivals SC East Bengal. But since then, their campaign has gone downhill.
ATK Mohun Bagan are currently far from their best and it all started with the humiliation against Mumbai City FC. The 5-1 defeat against the Islanders was a major blow to the team’s confidence and morale. While people believed that the Mariners will bounce back, they actually have not found a way to do that. Hence they are on a four-match winless streak.
After suffering consecutive defeats against Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC, Habas opted for a defensive approach against Chennaiyin FC. Therefore they could only secure a 1-1 draw. However, against Bengaluru, they conceded some cheap goals and once again failed to bag all three points against a team struggling to get results this season.
ISL 2021-22: Antonio Habas set to step down as ATK Mohun Bagan head coach after recent poor showings, check details
Heading into the Bengaluru FC game the Spaniard understood that there was a lot of pressure on him to deliver and after the draw, he simply could not escape from the inevitable. Therefore Habas is all set to call time on his current stint with ATK Mohun Bagan.
Habas first came to India as a head coach of ATK in the inaugural year of the Indian Super League and had an immediate impact. He helped the Kolkata outfit win the inaugural ISL. He guided ATK to the playoffs in the second season as well where they lost out against eventual champions, Chennaiyin FC.
Habas then had a stint with FC Pune City for a couple of seasons and then went on a sabbatical. He returned to India in 2019 and was tasked to help a struggling ATK side and Habas once again made an instant impact. The Spaniard guided the Kolkata outfit to their second title after winning the finals against Chennaiyin FC.
ISL 2021-22: Antonio Habas set to step down as ATK Mohun Bagan head coach after recent poor showings, check details
Habas was retained by the team management even after the merger and he continued his good work by helping ATK Mohun Bagan reach the finals. The Mariners were very effective in grinding out results and gave a tough time to Sergio Lobera’s Mumbai City. But eventually, Habas had to settle for second place in the league and also lost the finals against the Islanders. The Green and Maroons are in the sixth position currently in the ISL points table and it will be interesting to see how their season unfolds following Habas’ departure.
An official statement from ATK Mohun Bagan has revealed that Habas’ assistant coach Manuel Cascallana will continue with the Mariners in an interim role until a replacement is in place.
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