The Indian Super League 2020-21 runners-up have decided to extend the stay of head coach Antonio Lopez Habas at the club till the end of 2021-22 campaign, keeping in mind the club’s AFC Cup duties.
Mariners, we’ve got some great news for you! We are delighted to announce that Coach Antonio Lopez Habas has signed a one-year contract extension with ATK Mohun Bagan.
the club said.
I am happy that the officials have kept faith in me and our technical staff. It will inspire us all a lot before the AFC Cup and boost our moral strength. Our goal now is to bring success to the club at the international level,” reacted Habas from his home in Madrid. “We are committed to upholding the trust of the members, supporters and officials.
Habas led the Mariners to a second-place finish in the league standings, only behind Mumbai City FC on head-to-head records. The team also finished second-best in the ISL Final behind eventual champions and double winners, Mumbai City FC.
The tactician has earlier won 2 ISL titles with now-defunct side ATKFC. He led the Red and Whites to their maiden title in the inaugural ISL season in 2014 before winning it again in the 2019-20 season. Habas has also managed FC Pune City FC in the 2015 season but was not as successful.
The Spaniard is known for a pragmatic brand of football with a deep midfield formation and a tight defence. He does not like his team to play with the ball but depends on counter-attacking moves up the pitch. Habas likes his team to maintain a tight defensive formation and allow absolutely no space at the back, which enables his team to catch opponents who would be already tired by playing around the pitch for the majority of the stipulated 90 minutes.
The presence of Carl McHugh in the defensive midfield ahead of the two double pivots was a crucial part of Habas’ tactics in the recently concluded ISL season. McHugh was tasked with controlling the midfield by receiving, blocking, and also opening up gaps in the attacking midfield. The duo of Sandesh Jhingan and Tiri allowed Habas to invite opponents and suck them in before hitting them on the counter.
Fijian striker Roy Krishna was crucial to ATKMB eking out regular points in each fixture. Krishna’s pace and precision when going for goals allowed ATKMB to secure several low scoring wins, which was a trademark of their entire league campaign.
The Mariners will take the pitch yet again in May as they make their debut AFC Cup campaign as a rebooted ISL side. They are grouped with Bangladesh side Basundhara Kings, Mazia Sports from the Maldives and a winner of the play-offs fixtures between Bengaluru FC, Nepal Army, Sri Lanka Police and Abahani Limited Dhaka.
