Mohun Bagan coach Sanjay Sen draws inspiration from Antonio Habas ahead of I League

Sanjay-Sen-with-HabasKolkata , December 17 : Atletico de Kolkata’s  brand of football against Chennaiyin FC on Wednesday  have drawn accolades from all spheres .I League winning Mohun Bagan coach  Sanjay Sen is no different .Sanjay Sen  has been a huge fan of  Antonio Habas’s coaching strategy  and  is influenced by the Spaniard . On Thursday  ahead of  the  practice session , Sanjay Sen re-iterated the never say attitude shown by Atletico in semi final leg 2 to his footballers ,“  I have told my footballers today before the practice session to show the never say die attitude  in the middle . It is a quality that transforms a side into a champion one . I have told my footballers to draw inspiration from Atletico de Kolkata’s tremendous fightback against Chennaiyin FC on Wednesday .”

Everyone has written off Atletico’s chances of making it to the final ahaead of the semi final leg 2 at Salt Lake Stadium , after being 0-3 down against the same opponents in semi final leg 1 at Pune ,  . But the Spanish coach had different ideas . He was successful in instilling amongst his boys the never say die attitude , a quality he boasts off . The 68000 odd spectators who thronged the stadium yesterday wishing for a turn around in fortunes for Atletico watched with awe the never say die brand of football from the Atletico de Kolkata footballers . Had it not been for the missed opportunities , the score line would have been different .

Mohun Bagan coach Sanjay Sen made it clear that no one can guarantee being champion . Even the best of teams pass through a bad phase . He cited the example of  English Premier League champions Chelsea who are struggling to come to terms this season . Bagan officials have a strong squad this season as well , having the best foreign recruits in Soni Norde , Trinidad & Tobago world cupper Cornell Glen , Katsumi Yuasa and Judelin Aveska . “Having the best team does not ensure a great result  . No one can give guarantee about winning a trophy or championship . Even an Okolie Odafa failed to deliver here few seasons back .” quipped a defensive Sanjay Sen .

Dempo footballer Prabir Das has joined the green and marron ranks . Das , who also had an offer from East Bengal chose to sign for the I League champions . Formerly a Pailan Arrows footballer , Prabir was taken to Dempo by coach Arthur Papas . He signed for Delhi Dynamos this season in ISL , but was unfortunate to get a chance . Prabir himself is quite excited about the prospect of playing for the I League champions “ Playing for Mohun Bagan is an huge honour . I know there will be tough competitions to get into the playing eleven , but I am ready to take up the challenge .”

Meanwhile , midfielder  Lalkamal Bhowmik is recovering slowly from his injury that he suffered last season .