ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando has showered praise on their AFC Cup 2022 group opponents Gokulam Kerala FC. The Spaniard said that the opposition has a clear vision in their attack and their plan is 100% effective. Gokulam Kerala FC is the I-league champions and they have the skills to surprise the Mariners.
ATK Mohun Bagan will face Gokulam Kerala FC in their first Group stage match of AFC Cup 2022 at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Wednesday.
Speaking on his opponents, Juan Ferrando said in the presser, For me, this team is clear when it comes to attacking. They know what space is there, they know what is the moment to attack in the free space. The team is compact, also in moments of the attack, they’ve got four-five key points very clear. After watching a lot of their league games, I like this team because in this case, their plan is 100% effective as a team. There also exist some problems at the time of the press, the time of the attack is not the same for all the players in the team.”
He added, “But I think they have a clear vision and a distinctive idea and they know what is the best moment to attack. There is a movement to work in defense, the team is working hard and they are acquainted with their movements.”
Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan will play in front of their home crowd and Ferrando reckons it will definitely be an advantage to his team to have the fans’ support on their side.
The club’s gaffer said, “Of course, to play at home is, obviously, amazing because the supporters are close to the team and this is an advantage, yes surely. But don’t forget, at the end, on the pitch we play eleven against eleven and we have a lot of respect for the three teams because the three opponents are the champions, in the case of Gokulam, they are the league champions; in the case of Bashundhara, they are Bangladesh Premier League champions; in case of Maziya, they are Maldivian League champions. So, it’s very important, we are working hard to be ready and of course, I hope playing at home may bring us an additional point.”
Ferrando wants his players to express themselves on the pitch and enjoy the game as it is a very important tournament for them. Thus, they will look to do well in AFC Cup 2022 and get the best results.
He concluded, “For us, this AFC Cup is important. Qualifying was definitely important, but you know, in the end, this is the most important thing, that is, Wednesday’s game. I hope the players enjoyed the game because in the end this competition is the most important international competition for me. For me, the most significant aspect is the players’ enjoyment. I think the supporters are also enjoying the match. We’ll be playing against incredibly good teams. It’s going to be a high performance and in our case, we have more or less three weeks to prepare for the group stage. I’m happy for the players, their performances and training have been good.”
