We have to win the respect of Indian Football again: East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat

East Bengal lost their last ISL game 1-2 against Bengaluru FC

The 10th edition of the Indian Super League resumes as East Bengal host FC Goa at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar this weekend. The Red and Gold Brigade come into this game on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Bengaluru FC.

FC Goa on the other hand are in red hot form having won both of their opening games. Ahead of the game, East Bengal’s head coach Carles Cuadrat and player Naorem Mahesh Singh addressed the media.

Playing away from home

East Bengal will host FC Goa at a neutral venue in Bhubaneswar due to administrative issues in Kolkata. Speaking about the same, Carles Cuadrat said that he felt very sorry for the supporters, but it was the best decision of the club.

“I feel very sad for our supporters because we will miss a home game. Every match at home gives us good energy and help because we have all the fans behind us. But, at the same time we have to make good decisions for the club. 

He also mentioned that it was his decision to play in Bhubaneswar because that was the best solution.

“It was my decision to play in Bhubaneshwar. They offered us to play three games in six days between Mumbai and Odisha. So, if a player is injured in the first match we would lose the player for three games.  which is not the solution. Sorry to the fans, we thought maybe Siliguri was an option, but it was not possible because of the Puja. We will try to go to Bhubaneswar and do our job," he asserted.

Refereeing decisions

Carles Cuadrat opened up about the refereeing decisions and said, “We are a centurion club and we have a lot of legacy behind us. We have to win the respect of Indian Football again. East Bengal is not getting the right respect as we deserve more respect. 

The Spanish coach also added that a lot of decisions were made against his side and East Bengal deserves a lot of respect.

“There were a lot of game-changing decisions that went against us. The referees made mistakes and three decisions went against us. I think East Bengal deserve a lot of respect and that is not happening at the moment,

He also said that the refereeing situation in India is not good and maybe VAR can help in such situations.

“The refereeing situation is not good. Mistakes are happening in a lot of games and VAR can help in such situations. But, there are more things happening that we all know. There are a lot of things that referees have to see,” he quipped.

Mahesh’s comments

Playing for East Bengal

Mahesh opened up and shared his thoughts on playing for East Bengal. He said that it’s a privilege to represent East Bengal and there’s no pressure on him.

“It’s a privilege to play for East Bengal. They have given me chances and that’s why I’m in the national team. I am going to improve under coach and the other coaching staff members give me a lot of details. So, it’s a pleasure to be here and there’ no pressure,” he signed off