'We have not come here for nothing': East Bengal coach Bino George ahead of RFDL final

Navi Mumbai: Bino George, the coach of the East Bengal reserve team, is on the cusp of achieving glory for the club.

The youth brigade of the Kolkata giant will go up against upbeat Punjab FC in the summit clash of the Reliance Football Development League (RFDL) here at the Reliance Corporate Park on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the grand finale of the youth league, Bino, who joined East Bengal in 2022, declared: "We have not come here for nothing."

'Ready for the final'

"I must appreciate my boys. They were placed in one of the toughest groups in the regional group stage. There were three other ISL teams - Mohun Bagan, Jamshedpur and Odisha FC- in our group in Kolkata. We topped the group. From there, we have started our journey. It is going smoothly, now we are ready for the final," Bino told The Bridge after his team's practice session.

Asked about their opponents Punjab FC, who saw off Bengaluru FC in penalties after a goalless draw in the semifinals, Bino uttered, "Obviously all coaches will keep a close eye on their opponents to know how they play, what their tactics are. We respect the opponents. But we have come here not for nothing. We want to achieve something."

Going into the final, East Bengal, however, still have a headache to get rid of - their shaky defence. In the semifinals, the Red and Gold brigade suffered an early scare as they went 0-2 down within 25 minutes into the first half with Muthoot FA's Ashar and Umer striking the goals.

Bino's concern

In the training on Thursday, Bino's players were seen practising defensive drills, demonstrating his idea.

"Whatever we do, I want my philosophy and my idea to reflect in my team's game. I also want my boys to learn from the mistakes they committed in the last match because the ultimate aim is to reach the top level," remarked Bino.

In the do-or-die semifinal clash, East Bengal fought back and levelled the score 3-3 in regulation time before prevailing 4-3 in the shootout. "I liked their attitude as they made a comeback, but the players should know opponents will not allow them to make such a comeback in every match, especially against tougher opponents in the final," stated Bino.

While East Bengal lost two matches in the regional qualifiers and one in the national group stage, they delivered a strong performance, scoring 25 goals and conceding 14. But with 44 goals in the tournament to their credit and eight against, Punjab FC are a different beast in this year's RFDL. Nevertheless, there will be no pushover.

Vanlalpeka Guite, the East Bengal captain, admitted that. "We know that our opponents are a tough side. But our coach has prepared us accordingly. It will be a challenging game, but we are looking forward to win," he said.

'Helping in transition'

Talking about his role as a coach of the youth team, Bino said, "My top priority is to help these players transition to the senior level. They should play in the East Bengal colour in the coming seasons and the Indian colour. Winning and losing are part of the game."

With East Bengal now almost assured of a spot in the Next Gen Cup, a youth tournament for Indian, EPL and South African clubs, Bino said playing in such a tournament overseas will help the players identify where they are lacking.

"When this kind of exposure comes to the players, they understand what is lacking for us. They will also become ambitious if they get good facilities like this at Reliance. So if you play at the higher level you get more opportunity, more money and more fame," observed Bino.

'RFDL best platform for youths': Bino

The former player-turned-coach is also acquainted with the ambitions of his wards.

"They (players) want to play in the senior team, and I was a footballer so I know their feelings. They aspire for money and to lead a good life. I love football and I motivate my players to go for the kill every time they play - be it in training or the match," asserted the 47-year-old.

Bino, meanwhile, was all praise of the RFDL. He calls the league 'the best platform for young players' in India.

"This is the best platform for the young players. There are U21 players, some of theme are even U17, so I am very happy that such a platform has been given to the players. They are improving themselves, they are getting better," Bino concluded.