Football
ISL: "Big difference between East Bengal & ATK Mohun Bagan," Manolo Diaz
East Bengal have not won a Kolkata Derby since December, 2018.
ISL: "The squad was made by the board," says Hyderabad FC Head Coach Manuel Diaz
In the latest chapter of the long history of Kolkata Derbies, ATK Mohun Bagan has come on top after a dominating display against the underperforming SC East Bengal. It was a forgettable night for the Red and Gold as they conceded three goals in the first 23 minutes. They also lost two players to injury, their captain Arindam Bhattacharya in the first half and then Raju Gaikwad later.
It was a dull outing for East Bengal as they failed to register even a single shot on target throughout the length of the game meanwhile on the other end, Hugo Boumous ran the show with his line-breaking passing and off the ball movement.
Head Coach Manolo Diaz talked about the loss, the difference between the teams, Hugo Boumous and more.
About the game
Whatever happened on the pitch was not a good sight for any East Bengal fan and the disparity between the two squads was visible every time ATK Mohun Bagan proceeded to attack. Talking about what went on the pitch, Manolo Diaz pointed about how far his team is from their arch-rivals and reflected on the game.
He said, "We had a very good team in front of us and we faced a lot of difficulties in playing our way. We made a lot of big mistakes. This team is very dangerous because they are at a good level and we couldn't play our game."
When asked about how Hugo Boumous was in one way or another involved in every goal, Manolo Diaz again mentioned how far the squad is from the Mariners. He said, "We have a good amount of distance with the opponent and in this case, about Hugo Boumous, we don't have chances."
Fans and the history of Kolkata Derbies
Walking into the game, Manolo Diaz knew the history of the fixture and what it went for the fans. Adding to it, East Bengal have failed to win the Kolkata Derby for nearly three years now. When asked if it went into the heads of the players, Manolo empathized with them and described, "We understand the feelings of the fans but there's a big difference between East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan. This is the real situation."
What lies ahead?
East Bengal is set to play Odisha FC on Tuesday, 30 November, three days after the derby and Manolo Diaz is conscious about how the Juggernauts have kicked off their campaign with flying colours. Talking about it, Manolo Diaz said, "The competition is what it is. We are going to play again in three days and the competition is like this. We must do our best in the next matches."
