The repentance of not winning this I-League will hurt me for the rest of my life: Sanjoy Sen

Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan to play Abahani Dhaka in their last match of the season. File Pic

Kolkata: Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan ends their football campaign for this season on 31st May. The contract of the players along with coach Sanjoy Sen expires on the last day of May. The Green and Maroon brigade are scheduled to play their last game on that day against Bangladeshi side Dhaka Abahani limited. In a conversation with Sanjoy Sen, the coach was asked about his motivation for the last match to which he replied ,“When I started practicing for the last match I had this doubt in my mind about what I would say. However, after the practice ended I liked the body language of the players. Whoever had seen the practice will agree will me.”

“From that point onwards, the boys have this been practicing with inspiration. This, as a coach, has been rewarding for me” said Sen.

Mohun Bagan will play their last AFC game on 31st May to which the Bagan coach said “We know that we hardly have any chances in AFC, and even we qualify, we don’t have that many chances in the latter rounds, as the players’ contracts are to end by the month on May.”

“Even then, we will play because there is a certain pride and self-respect that we have when we put on the Mohun Bagan jerseys.”

“It is something that we, as Bengalis are proud of. Also, as Indians we will play this with whatever little motivation that will still have left. “

Certain players would be missing on account of injury  to which Sen said “Edu is still struggling. We have a practice on Monday and that is when we will make the final decision.”

“Balwant too has an injury in his hamstring. Besides Sehnaj Singh and Balwant, everybody else will be available.”

Mohun Bagan had the best squad in the league and also the best team compared to the last 2 seasons. Coach Sanjoy Sen thinks that failing to achieve any trophy despite having the best squad is certainly disappointing.

“We cannot. The fact that we have not won any trophies in the past couple of years, is not something that I am proud of. Even then, there have been a few matches which have given us great joy. In some matches we have lost points and that is very disappointing. Barcelona’s coach has also said this to Lewis Ambrey. Such good players, such great teams, even their consistency is lacking. For quite some time now, I have been saying that we will now have to show some consistency. Because of this we could not win the trophy. Now we have to realize and figure out our mistakes.” said Sen.

According to Green and Maroon coach failing to win the I-League is more disappointing than failing to win the Fed Cup as the former is more prestigious than the Cup.

“Definitely, I-league. I-league’s significance is clearly a lot more. Federation has just finished but I-league is consecutively for another two years. This will be troublesome for as long as I am a coach”,said the Bagan gaffer.

Although Bagan failed to win the League, the Kolkata giants played many good games and according to the coach “Some of the matches that we have played have been really good. To name a few, the match that we played against Aizawl in Rabindra Sarovar, even after they scored two goals, we beat them and the final score was 3-2 which is something commendable. Also, the unsatisfactory match with Mumbai FC, where they had scored two goals and then it was a draw after we scored another two goals. East Bengal’s match in Silliguri was also a tactical match played by our team. I was elated when the tips that I had given, were applied by the players in their game. On the other hand, what was disappointing was when what the players had been asked to do, they did not and went on repeating their mistakes due to which win we could not win the trophy. So the season has been a mixture of both, good and bad.”