Will it be possible for Juan Ferrando and Antonio Lopez Habas to work together at Mohun Bagan?

A few days back Mohun Bagan appointed Antonio Lopez Habas as the Technical Director.

ATK Mohun Bagan, now rechristened as Mohun Bagan Super Giant by its owners, has been synonymous to winning since it set foot on the ISL dais. The club that operates from the Yuva Bharati Krirangan has been the most successful of sides in India’s premier competition, most recently lifting the trophy in 2022-23.

The club won the league in 2014-15, the inaugural season of the Indian Super League amidst much fanfare. The feat was repeated after a gap of one summer, meaning it is the only club in ISL history to have won the trophy three times.

Interestingly, club owners have time and again stressed on the importance on having the best Indian players at the Kolkata maidan while also ensuring the management staff remains one of the best in the country. To put money where the mouth was, ATK Mohun Bagan signed Spanish tactician Juan Ferrando from FC Goa in December 2021. Under Juan, the team won the tournament in the recently-concluded edition.

The arrival of Antonio Lopez Habas

Mohun Bagan Super Giant on 16 June appointed its former head coach Antonio Lopez Habas as the team’s new Technical Director. Habas knows Indian football like the back of his hand, having coached ATK across two stints and the now defunct FC Pune City as well.

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“Habas will be in charge of technical instructions for all the sides. The development side is currently training for the Calcutta Football League,” the club said in a statement.

Antonio Lopez Habas vs Juan Ferrando

Ever since Habas’ appointment, there have been muted discussions between the Mohun Bagan Super Giant fans that these two footballing personalities stand on opposite sides in terms of style on the pitch. In that scenario, will the work of Habas support Ferrando’s need for good supply of talented youth or will it create a situation of incertitude?

Let us first take a look at their styles to understand what lies ahead for the two Spanish footballing minds on the pitch.

Habas prefers a 4-4-2 (diamond)

Antonio Habas is the first and the only coach in ISL history to have lifted the trophy twice. On both instances, the 66-year-old employed a 4-4-2 diamond system that relied mostly on wingers and one very effective defensive screener. The No. 6 was assigned to do not just the dirty work, but also find the long passes on the wings, while also finding straight passes between the lines to his forwards.

With organic wingers on both fronts, Habas did not invest too much in his full-backs on the attacking side of the pitch. However, his teams were one of the most resolute on the pitch in terms of defending. Breaking down Habas’ defensive structure was beyond most teams. His team was known to fight with et al for second balls in the opposition half and up the ante in transition.

His teams did not win big, but delivered wins consistently. He operated with an old-fashioned No. 9, who could head the ball well and knew when to arrive in the box. His No. 10 was a fluid playmaker, one who could drop deep into midfield or go the farthest in the box, depending on the situation. Habas trusted in this player’s attacking ability and creativity and thus, the No. 10 was the star of his team. Remember Helder Postiga and Edu Garcia?

Juan Ferrando (4-2-3-1)

The protégé that would make Brazilian legend Zico proud, Ferrando auditioned for ATK Mohun Bagan with some spectacular ball-playing football at FC Goa. He strongly believes in the 4-2-3-1 formation, with inverted wingers and onrushing full-backs. One of his midfield pivot does the dirty work (Glan Martins/ Carl McHugh/ Edu Bedia) while another is tasked to do the ball playing.  

Ferrando’s FC Goa has played some of the most-slick football ever seen in the ISL. His forward, Igor Angulo, notched up top numbers just a few years ago. His modern outlook to the game is reminiscent of football being playing in Spain.

Will they suit each other?

On the first look, no. These are two very distinct styles – one outdated with its own share of debaters and another being played in every corner of the world at the moment. In this scenario, how will the club benefit from the move?

It has to come with right communication. Both coaches have shown mutual respect and are compatriots – thus, there’s no language barrier. Ferrando is the head coach of the senior team and his demands must be met by the youth teams of the club that will now be looked upon by Habas. On the other hand, Habas has to ensure that Ferrando remains flexible, depending on the talent and abilities of a certain player.

Anyone who knows Indian football stands on the side that we don’t have the best natural passers in the game. However, with the right practice and training, it is a skill that can be mastered. On the other hand, Habas’ resoluteness and the ability to instil his teams with the attitude to fight even for lost causes is sure to create warriors in a team that dreams to consistently play continental football.

Will this move work?

If the pair adjusts a little to each other’s style and the demands of the other, (which Khel Now thinks they will), it will be a move that is set to make the club even better. Habas knows how to defend against the best of attacks and expecting more clean sheets from this club next season onwards will not be an exaggeration. On the other hand, Ferrando is making his attack one of the meanest in the country and it will be interesting to see how Hugo Boumous, Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku and Jason Cummings wreck havoc while their backline relish in frustrating opposition attacks.