'East Bengal won Super Cup final because of referee's mistake' - Sergio Lobera takes a dig at Cuadrat's blame game on referees

Lobera has also expressed confidence in facing the East Bengal side with a full squad.

Odisha FC is going to face East Bengal FC in their next match of Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 at the Kalinga Stadium on February 29, 2024. 

Currently, the Kalinga warriors occupy the top position in the points table, while East Bengal is situated in eighth place. Securing a victory in the upcoming game will significantly widen Odisha’s by points lead over the second-placed team.

Ahead of the clash, the pre-match press conference was attended by Odisha FC’s head coach Sergio Lobera and player Carlos Delgado who answered the queries of the media. 

Eye on the ISL Shield 

Undoubtedly, Odisha FC currently holds the top position in the points table. If they maintain their exceptional performance, they may secure the ISL Shield this season. However, coach Sergio Lobera provided a measured response, emphasizing a focus on the upcoming game and a commitment to taking each match as it comes.

He said, “We need to put the focus on the next game, on tomorrow’s game. We need to go in the same way we have been going forward, step by step and game by game. And if we keep working in the same way then at the end of the season, we can get a chance to celebrate.”

Full squad against East Bengal 

Odisha FC was faced with the absence of Ahmed Jahouh in their match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant. However, the midfielder has since returned to the line-up and the team now boasts a full squad as they prepare to take on East Bengal FC in their upcoming match.

Coach Sergio Lobera has expressed confidence in facing the East Bengal side with a full squad, as he stated, “I think it’s very helpful as a coach to have the full squad ready because it gives us more options. The most important thing is to work as a team. With Jahouh back in the side, it is very helpful for us and for me as a coach, I have more options to rely on.”

Blaming the referees

East Bengal FC’s head coach, Carles Cuadrat, has consistently expressed concerns about the perceived unprofessionalism of the referees during matches, attributing his team’s difficulties to this issue on several occasions. The head coach of Odisha FC issued a robust response to his counterpart’s repeated remarks on this matter.

“They are speaking about the referees after every game. Referees are also human and mistakes happen. There is no issue in it. We just need to help them out and allow them to do their job in the right way”, Sergio stated.

He also highlighted how East Bengal won the Kalinga Super Cup final against them due to an error by the referee. 

“If we talk about the last game, they won it because of a big mistake by the referee. So it’s not fine when you cry everyday blaming the referees because you won that one trophy after 12 years only due to a mistake by them. We just need to focus on ourselves”, he added. 

Club’s progress over the years

Odisha FC was set up in 2019. Since then, the club has become a major contender in the ISL. Their progress is really noticeable when you check the points table this season.

When a question was asked regarding the progress of the club, Carlos Delgado replied, “In the first season, we didn’t make it to the play-offs, but in this season we are fighting for the top place in the table. So obviously the club is improving with time.”

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