Juan Ferrando hopes to win every tournament with ATK Mohun Bagan
Jul 12, 2022
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 12 : ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando is not shying away from his lofty ambition and is eyeing a clean sweep of trophies at the club's next season.
The Mariners will be in action in the latter stages of the AFC Cup, the Durand Cup, the ISL and possibly even the Super Cup and Ferrando wants to win it all.
"I'm incredibly excited for the new season because this season is different. Firstly, we have a great opportunity in August with the Durand Cup. I think the championship in front of us is a great opportunity to try to give our best. Then, you have the Super Cup, so, it's going to be an amazing season," said Juan Ferrando as per the ISL website.
"But, honestly, the most important thing is the training, the pre-season is very significant and I hope that the players come with a strong personality and with 100 per cent motivation. I think it's important for us to be ready and positive, except when it comes to COVID-19. In the end, players take time with their families and friends and they're not only thinking about football all the time, so it's good for them to meet people other than football," he added.
The Spaniard, who led the Mariners to the semi-finals of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season, has fuelled the team with new signings for the upcoming longer season.
"Everybody knows about our signings, be it Ashique [Kuruniyan], Hamill [Brendan], Asish [Rai], or Pogba [Florentin]. I'm happy that they want to join us and help. They have quality, they are very strong players, and they can help in our playing style, but it's very important when we have the first meeting to know whether they can help improve ATK Mohun Bagan," said the head coach.
"With respect to the departures, this is the life of footballers, sometimes it's necessary to find the best players for our team, sometimes there's an agreement, sometimes there's disagreement, so it's not so easy. But all these players have helped the club a lot and have been an important part of the club, we can never forget that. At this moment, the squad is not complete but I'm happy with the mentality our players have," he added.
After a gripping finish in the AFC Cup, Ferrando's side are through to the inter-zone semi-finals of the tournament and will be keen to beat their earlier record of a semi-final finish in the previous season through the strength of their new quality signings.
