Stephen Constantine expresses discontent with Hero Super Cup format

The East Bengal head coach also spoke about the AFC slot offered.

East Bengal will kickstart their 2023 Hero Super Cup campaign against Odisha FC, on the 9th of April Sunday. The game will hold profound significance, as a positive result in the first outing, might mark Stephen Constantine's side's fate in the rest of the competition.

The Red & Gold Brigade have unfortunately not been at their best this season, and have had a much disappointing ISL campaign at their disposal. Also, the team particularly struggled against the other ISL teams in their Hero Super Cup group, and lost both their games in the league against Odisha and Hyderabad.

But the start of a new competition, might also mark the beginning of a much needed turn of fortunes at the club, and that is exactly what Stephen Constantine and his men would be hoping for this Sunday.

Ahead of the game, East Bengal head coach Stephen Constantine spoke to the media. These are the excerpts from the conversation.

Thoughts on their opponents Odisha

Stephen Constantine shared his thoughts on their opponents for Sunday, Odisha, and told how unlucky his team was in their previous outings against the Juggernauts. “Odisha, obviously we played them twice in the ISL and then the first game we should have beaten them but lost. The second game we should have drawn but we lost,” he said.

“So we're looking forward to the game and hopefully we get the result that we we want in the game,” he added

Stephen Constantine also spoke some words on the other teams present in their group, and shared his thoughts.

“Congratulations to Aizawl FC for qualifying for this stage. Obviously, we don't know too much about them but we know the the quality of Hyderabad. So, there will be three difficult games. We have come here to try and qualify from the group. That's what we will do.”

Stephen Constantine's discontent with Hero Super Cup’s format

During the press conference, Stephen also spoke about the format of the Hero Super Cup, and the perplexities that he and his team have to face due to that.

“The Super Cup should have been played throughout the season. Not, not you bring eight teams, one training ground. We have now three teams in group B and we're driving two hours, two and a half hours to come to a city where we will not have the game. Why they don't have this press conference in Monday, why we have it in here? I have to go back two hours and then I have to go training another hour. It's a complete waste of time,” he mentioned.

He also questioned the format of the cup, by raising the following points’:

“Look, if you had the Super Cup throughout the season, that would include all of the I-League teams. OK, all of the ISL teams, one game knockout. Not a tournament. It's called the cup. The cup is not a tournament, it's a cup. It's a knockout. This is not a knockout. This is three games.”

“I know why we're doing this because we have to comply with a AFC rules to get enough games. But then why are we only having 11 teams in the Indian Super League, 12 teams moving away (Punjab being included in the ISL), home and away, 22 games, top six, bottom six, there's another 10 games, 32 games and the Super Cup is played in between. One game knockout. There's all of your criteria to meet, AFC rules. Good competition, top six, bottom six. I don't know why we're not doing this instead of that,” Constantine expressed.

His take on the AFC slot available

The Hero Super Cup has a major positive addition to it this season, as the winners of the competition will get a chance to play in the AFC Cup.

The Champions of the 2023 Hero Super Cup will play a qualification game against Gokulam Kerala, the winner of which will go into the 2023-24 AFC Cup.

“I think the only positive for me from this tournament is that there's an AFC slot. Other than that, nothing. As I said, I think it should have been played knockout all through the season. That would include both I-League and ISL teams. The positive is that it's an AFC slot, but that's it,” Stephen Constantine concluded.