XtraTime Web Desk: ATK Mohun Bagan’s Indian Super League winning coach Antonio Lopez Habas, three other Spanish players and support staff have reached Goa on Sunday morning. The seven members, including Spanish players Edu Garcia, Javi Hernandez and Tiri will undergo home quarantine for two weeks in Goa, according to a statement issued by ATK-MB.
“News from the arrival desk: Our Spanish #Mariners are the first overseas contingent to set foot on Goan soil!,” the management tweeted after they arrive in Goa.
“We are slated to reach Sunday morning. Now the situation is very different. Time is less but the challenge is bigger. We are looking forward to giving our best on the field,” Habas said in the statement. Spanish centre-back Tiri has also posted a farewell photo with his family on his Instagram page.
“Without any doubt it has been the most difficult farewell of my life … I’m sure that despite the distance, we will be more united than ever! See you soon, family and friends, now it’s time to enjoy my work again! Thanks for everything,” wrote the 29-year-old. The support staff include assistant coach Manuel Perez, goalkeeping coach Angel Pindado and fitness coach Miguel Martinez.
The team is already camping for more than a week in Goa. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the top-tier league will be held in three venues of Goa.
This season ATK has merged with Mohun Bagan, while arch-rivals East Bengal have become the 11th team of the league, forming a consortium with Shree Cement Limited.