10 men Mohun Bagan Super Giants beat arch rival East Bengal in a thrilling Kolkata Derby in the Durand Cup Final. Mohun Bagan coach Juan Ferrando remained undeterred despite winning the derby and the Durand Cup. However, during the post-match press conference, he appeared irritated while replying to complaints concerning footballer registration.
“The team’s under-23 footballers are gone. We had no choice. Other than that it is within the rules as far as I know. I did not break the rules. According to me, even he (East Bengal coach) could have read the rules. If that was the case, the organizers could have given a penalty. They didn’t do anything like that. I think it’s better to limit the discussion to football.” Juan Ferrando said.
East Bengal 0-1 Mohun Bagan: Dimi Petratos guides Mariners to Durand Cup victory…
The two teams previously crossed paths in the group stage, where East Bengal narrowly emerged victorious with a 1-0 win, ending their four-year winless streak against their fierce rivals.
However, Ferrando coached Mohun Bagan’s fortunes took a positive turn after the defeat as they won all their subsequent matches. As the Mariners finished second in Group A, they faced a tough quarter-final draw against Mumbai City FC.
However, they secured a 3-1 victory, following which they clashed against FC Goa in the semifinals. They edged them in a narrow 2-1 comeback to set up the zenith clash. On being asked if this was his most important achevement, Ferrando said,
“It cannot be said. Because we have played against many tough teams in the entire competition. Mumbai City, FC Goa, East Bengal today — it's not easy to win against anyone. They had to face difficult tests again and again. But as I said earlier it is pre-season preparation. The players gave their best under pressure. There is still a lot of room for improvement.” Ferrando added After the Kolkata Derby, Ferrando's attention is now drawn to the AFC Cup. The group stage will begin later this month. They must first compete against Odisha. He wants to begin planning right away. The main goal is to keep the ISL trophy as Ferrando is fascinated with setting new objectives.
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