East Bengal FC’s head coach Carles Cuadrat has urged the club fans to put their weight behind the team. The Red and Gold brigade won six out of the 22 matches in the Indian Super League 2023-24 season and ended the campaign in eighth place with 24 points.
It was East Bengal FC’s best season so far in the ISL history. Furthermore, East Bengal FC lifted the Super Cup after beating Odisha FC by 3-2 in a thrilling final contest.
Ergo, Carles Cuadrat was able to get the best out of his players and he would want to continue the good show. East Bengal has always had passionate fans and the Spaniard wants the fans to fill the home stadium with numbers.
East Bengal will take on Altyn Asyr FC in the inaugural AFC Asian Champions League (ACL) Two Preliminary Stage match on Wednesday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
“It’s a very important match for the club. It has been a long time since we have played in Asia. It makes us proud to represent India in Asian competitions. For a long time, the club has been away from those kinds of challenges. We are going to be ready for this, and it will be a difficult test,” Cuadrat said in the pre-match press conference.
The East Bengal FC head coach praised their opponents, Altyn Asyr FC, who have been consistent in their performances.
Cuadrat remarked: “We are going to play against a club that has been showing that they deserve to be in the Asian competitions year after year. It’s going to be a good test for us to prove ourselves that we are also at that kind of level, and we can represent the country in top competitions in Asia.”
Meanwhile, Cuadrat led Bengaluru FC to an ISL Cup victory in the 2018–19 season. During his stint with the Blues, he took on Altyn Asyr FC in the AFC Cup but the Indian club suffered a loss.
Reflecting on this, he stated, “We have to be realistic. I am a very pragmatic coach. I know what I’m doing. I know Altyn Asyr FC was a very difficult opponent for me five years ago when I was coaching Bengaluru FC. I know what kind of team they are.
“A lot of players on our team will play their first AFC match; they have players who have played 20 or more matches in the competition. We have been working on the match plans; we will put players in those conditions so that we can fight for the game,” he further added.
