ATK Mohun Bagan were beaten 1-0 by a better Jamshedpur FC side as they ended up falling short of the Indian Super League Winners’ Shield for the second season in a row. It was courtesy of a goal from Ritwik Das that handed the Men of Steel their seventh win on the trot this season breaking all the records set earlier.
This win meant that Jamshedpur FC will now face fourth-placed Kerala Blasters in the ISL Semifinals where ATK Mohun Bagan will face the second-placed Hyderabad FC.
After the close game, ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando lauded his counterpart, Owen Coyle for guiding his team to the summit. He also praised the efforts of Jamshedpur FC as they created history.
Reflecting on the game, Ferrando spoke his mind on how he knew things won’t be easy for them in the last game given the criteria required to overtake the Men of Steel. He highlighted how they tried everything but things really did not fall in place for his men.
“Of course, we are not feeling very good. We had one opportunity in this last game we knew it was not going to be easy, because for us it was necessary to win by 2-0. We tried to do everything but we didn’t succeed. But I think it’s necessary to think about the semi-final game now,” Ferrando said at the post-match press conference.
The ATK Mohun Bagan head coach stood there in the ground right till the end as he congratulated Owen Coyle and the players as a part of sportsman spirit. He even shared how he felt that this was a superb season for Jamshedpur FC and standing there till the end was an act of the fair play for him.
“It was a sign of fair play for me. After a four or five-month competition they were in the first position and won seven games (in a row). I went there to congratulate them. Because this season for this club was perfect,” the Spaniard added.
Ferrando’s long unbeaten streak as ATK Mohun Bagan head coach has ended and the Spanish tactician is obviously not feeling good about it. When quizzed about this loss playing a part in the upcoming semifinal, Ferrando felt that it will be a new day for him but for now he is distraught.
“To be honest, right now I don’t know. I need one-two hours and I’ll take a shower. But yes, then we need to be ready for the next game that is the semi-final. Of course, as a team after this defeat we are not feeling good. But tomorrow is a new day as a head coach, I need to push the players and the coaching staff and get them ready for the Saturday’s match,” he replied.
Lastly, the Spanish tactician highlighted how Jamshedpur, Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC have had great seasons and therefore they are there in the semifinals. So he assures the fans to witness good games and it will be a matter of small margins that will create differences.
“Well Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters FC they are in the semi-final because they all had a very good season. It’s time to enjoy the games. But in the semi-finals and final in my point of view everybody will witness good games because it’s not the same pressure. Of course, everybody wants to win but after the twenty games everybody wants to enjoy the last three games,” Ferrando concluded.
