'It was an accident': East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Habas after disappointing defeat to Chennaiyin FC in ISL 2026-27
An eight-goal thriller for East Bengal in Chennai
Antonio Habas takes responsibility after East Bengal FC‘s 5-3 defeat to Chennaiyin FC and admits defensive disorganisation.
East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Habas expressed his disappointment following the Torchbearers’ frustrating 5-3 defeat against Chennaiyin FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 encounter in Chennai. The Spanish tactician admitted that his team lacked organisation, concentration and composure, while taking responsibility for the disappointing result.
The Red and Gold Brigade endured a difficult evening against the Marina Machans, conceding five goals despite finding the net three times. Habas felt that his players were too relaxed and allowed the opposition to dictate proceedings, ultimately paying the price for their mistakes.
Following East Bengal FC’s disappointing 5-3 defeat against Chennaiyin FC in Chennai, head coach Antonio López Habas addressed the media.
Here is the full report from Antonio López Habas’ post-match press conference following East Bengal FC’s clash against Chennaiyin FC in the ISL 2026-27!
Habas takes responsibility for East Bengal’s disappointing performance
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Reflecting on the defeat, Habas admitted that his team failed to display the expected intensity and discipline. He also acknowledged that East Bengal underestimated their opponents and allowed them too much freedom.
The East Bengal head coach also took full responsibility for the outcome, insisting that the performance did not reflect the identity of his team.
Habas stated, “We have to accept the result. Today, the team was too relaxed and gave too much initiative to the opponent. We are not a team that plays with this kind of approach. Evidently, the opponent played well and punished our mistakes.”
“We conceded a goal within the first three minutes of the match. There was no concentration, and maybe we underestimated our opponents. We thought we were better than them.”
“I assume responsibility for the result of the match. Evidently, I am the coach for the good things and the bad things as well. I have to solve the situation immediately with my players. This is not my team today. It was an accident, and I hope this accident never happens again.” he also added.
Habas explains East Bengal’s defensive disorganisation
Habas identified the lack of compactness between the defensive and attacking units as one of the major reasons behind East Bengal’s defensive struggles. He explained that the excessive distance between the players allowed Chennaiyin to recover possession and launch dangerous counterattacks.
He further emphasised that individual players often appear to perform poorly when the overall team structure breaks down.
The Spaniard explained, “Maybe the problem was that the team was not compact. The team was spread across 60-75 metres when it needed to be within 25 metres. There was a big distance between the players, allowing the opponent to recover the ball in defence, play through the central midfielders and counterattack behind our defensive line.”
“When the team is not organised, all the players seem like bad players. The defenders look bad, the goalkeeper looks bad, the central midfielder looks bad and the striker looks bad. There was no organisation. That was the problem,” he also added.
Habas refuses to make excuses despite East Bengal’s hectic schedule
With the Indian Super League scheduled to resume on November 20, Habas was asked about the preparations required during the upcoming break. The East Bengal coach highlighted the demanding schedule his team had endured since July but refused to use fatigue as an excuse for the defeat.
Habas acknowledged the importance of giving his players sufficient recovery time while maintaining that the team’s performance needed immediate improvement.
Antonio Habas responded, “We need to recover the team, evidently. We are the only team in the ISL to have played 19 matches. Maybe Chennaiyin have three or four fewer competitive matches. We have played 18-19 matches since July. No excuses, no excuses,” he added.
Habas addresses Anwar Ali’s absence and East Bengal’s defensive struggles
East Bengal have conceded seven goals across their last two matches, with defensive concerns emerging following Anwar Ali’s injury. When questioned about the defender’s absence and its impact on the team’s defensive performances, Habas acknowledged his importance but refused to single out individual players.
Habas said, “We have conceded seven goals, but Anwar played in the last match. He was in the starting eleven, but after that, he suffered an injury. I don’t want to talk about individual players here. We need Anwar, evidently, because he is a very good player. We need him to recover soon,” he added.
Habas backs all three East Bengal goalkeepers
With Lachenpa and Gill featuring in different matches, Habas was also questioned about whether he was still deciding on his first-choice goalkeeper. However, the Spanish tactician made it clear that he has complete confidence in all three goalkeepers at his disposal and that the selection was part of his squad-management approach.
He reiterated that the team’s overall organisation, rather than individual goalkeeping performances, was the primary concern.
Antonio Habas clarified, “No, no, no. I am very, very clear about the goalkeepers. I have three very good goalkeepers. We decided to have Lachenpa play in the AFC competition because he also deserves to play. I don’t want to play with only one goalkeeper. We have three very good goalkeepers today.”
“The problem is that the team is not organised. All the time, the problem is with the goalkeeper, he added.”
Habas refuses to comment on refereeing decisions
Towards the end of the press conference, Habas was asked about the frustration among East Bengal players and coaching staff regarding certain refereeing decisions during the encounter.
However, the East Bengal head coach declined to get involved in a discussion about the officials, preferring to focus on his team’s shortcomings.
Habas said: “No, no, no. I don’t want to talk about that,” he concluded.
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