Juan Pedro Benali reveals why he cheered Parthib Gogoi after the Hyderabad vs NorthEast United game in ISL

The Spanish gaffer also talked about his preference in the upcoming transfer window.

Juan Pedro Benali, head coach of NorthEast United FC, spoke about the cheering of Indian forward Parthib Gogoi after their 2-5 away match win against Hyderabad FC. It was a match of the Indian Super League (ISL), 2024-25 played on December 23, 2024. The Highlanders will play an away match against Mumbai City FC in the ISL on December 30, 2024.

Parthib Gogoi, the Indian forward, has played 11 matches in the ISL 2024-25 season for NorthEast United so far. He started in five games and came on as a substitute in six matches. The only match he did not feature in his team was against Kerala Blasters FC on 29th September.

He scored two goals against Jamshedpur FC and provided two assists. He played an important role in the fourth goal against Hyderabad FC, but it was declared an own goal by Alex Saji.

During the pre-match press conference in Guwahati ahead of travel for the Mumbai City game, answering a question from Khel Now regarding the Hyderabad match, the Spanish gaffer said, “Just before the match, when Parthib was warming up with the substitutes, someone from the crowd was throwing bad words at him. This is what I always say to everyone. I went to cheer him and said, ‘Hey, everybody is important. Everybody.’”

Adding to this conversation, Juan Pedro Benali urged: “Respect. We must respect the player because tomorrow, we will need him. We need to be calm. We need to think and cheer for our players. If we are our first enemy, then why are we supporting the team? We need to be there. When a player doesn’t do well, that is the moment to support him and be with him. Not when he doesn’t do well, we kill him more.

“Everyone has a bad day, but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. You will need your game. Don’t be the worst enemy of the players. Our strength is not in one player. Our strength is in the club, in the team, in the group”

“Anyone who doesn’t want to understand it is not a fan of this club. They are an enemy of this club. Support your players. Support the players who are here,” the Spanish gaffer added.

Nothing to lose against Mumbai City FC

The Highlanders will face Mumbai City FC on 30th December at the Mumbai Football Arena. Talking about the opponents, Juan Pedro Benali opined that the team has nothing to lose in Mumbai.

“Everything to win. If we win one point, we’ll be happy. If we win three points, we’ll be happy. If we don’t win anything but give everything, we’ll be happy. The most important thing is to be proud after the game, head up, and say we did our job.”

“This is the most important thing for us at this moment. If we get points, it’s fantastic, great. If we don’t take points, congratulations—we did our job. Let’s move on; next year, we’ll see what we can do better. But we have absolutely no pressure. We’re playing against a strong team on their field, but it’s 11 vs. 11. Anything can happen,” the Spanish tactician added.

Upcoming Transfer Window

Answering a question from Khel Now about whether the club want any players in the upcoming transfer window, the coach expressed his preference for bringing in young players.

He elaborated: “Most of the players who come in the middle of the season either haven’t played, aren’t playing for their team, or are without a team. We don’t have time.

“In January, you have 4 or 5 games. February, another 4. And 1 in March. Do you think if we bring a player who’s not ready, he will give everything? You know what we say in Spanish? ‘I prefer the bad I know to the good one I don’t know.’”

“And any player you bring now, if they haven’t played for the last 6 months, can they really make an impact?” the Spanish gaffer concluded the pre-match press conference.

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