Top three achievements of Tiri at ATK Mohun Bagan

The veteran will leave the club after spending three injury-ravaged seasons.

Tiri has announced his departure from ATK Mohun Bagan. He spent three years at the club, joining at the start of the 2020/21 season. He had also played many years for the erstwhile ATK and developed a special bond with the Kolkata football fans.

The Spaniard struggled with injury problems over the last year or so, which restricted his place under Juan Ferrando. With that being said, Tiri played an important part in helping the Mariners get back-to-back playoff places in the 2020/21 as well as 2021/22 Indian Super League (ISL) seasons.

His performances often went under the radar, as is the case with defenders all over Indian football. However, he did share some special moments and achieve some nice things with the Mariners that will live long in the memories of fans. Here we list three of them.

3. Returning from knee injury

Tiri sustained an awful knee injury in the opening game of ATK Mohun Bagan’s AFC Cup Group Stages on 18 May, 2022. The injury was so nasty that it ruled him out for not just their remaining group games, but the rest of the season. Tiri had to work extremely hard to fully recover from the injury and ended up missing the entirety of the 2022/23 ISL season as well.

Due to his age (31) and the severity of the knee injury, the road to recovery was a tough one for Tiri. However, he was able to make his return for the Mariners in the Hero Super Cup. Tiri made his return against Gokulam Kerala in the opening game of the Super Cup Group stages on 10 April, 2023 - the team against whom he got injured against almost a year ago. He came on as a second-half substitute and produced a memorable cameo that delighted fans.

2. Impressing in Kolkata Derby debut

Tiri’s second game in the ISL for the Mariners was a huge Kolkata Derby clash against East Bengal. It marked the first Kolkata Derby to take place in the competition and the stakes were extremely high. After an impressive debut against Kerala Blasters, Tiri retained his spot in the backline for Antonio Habas’ side.

Even though the game was played behind closed doors as part of the Covid-19 restrictions rules, pressure was high on both sets of players. The Spaniard, however, allowed his experience to help him soar. He produced a memorable performance, neutralizing whatever attack East Bengal tried to produce. Tiri kept Anthony Pilkington and Jacques Maghoma quiet in a superb Kolkata Derby debut and won over the ATKMB fanbase as a result.

1. Helping ATKMB make ISL final in debut season

Tiri had an impressive debut season for ATK Mohun Bagan and played a prominent role in helping them make the finals as well. However, the Mariners faced a tough test against NorthEast United in the ISL playoffs over the two legs. After drawing the first leg, they played an entertaining second leg. Tiri played in a back-four in this one, with Sandesh Jhingan as his partner.

He faced a pretty unpredictable NorthEast United side who were known for their deadly counter-attacks and set-piece threat. However, the Spaniard held his ground and commanded over a sturdy backline that was able to frustrate the Highlanders.

It allowed the Mariners to score two goals and take control with just 20 minutes remaining. NorthEast, however, scored a goal with just 16 minutes remaining. Tiri produced some of his best contributions in the final bits of the game, maintaining an unbreakable backline and coming up with vital challenges to ensure the Highlanders weren’t able to force extra-time.

In doing so, he helped ATK Mohun Bagan make the ISL finals in his debut season – an achievement that not many defenders have at the club.