What is Juan Pedro Benali's 'mantra' to win games?

The Spaniard articulated his thoughts ahead of his side’s encounter with the Tuskers.

The Indian Super League (ISL) finally returns to Guwahati for the first time since April. NorthEast United FC will host Kerala Blasters FC in a Super Sunday encounter. Juan Pedro Benali’s men will play their first home game since becoming the Durand Cup champions and will be keen to put their best foot forward in front of their fans.

NorthEast United FC started their season with a win over Mohammedan SC before dropping points twice from a winning position against Mohun Bagan last Monday. The Blasters on the other hand returned to winning ways against West Bengal after an opening day defeat to Punjab FC. Ahead of the match, NorthEast United FC’s head coach Juan Pedro Benali sat down for a press conference and addressed the media.

Juan Pedro Benali’s thoughts ahead of the game

The head coach began by sharing his thoughts ahead of the game and said that the team is working very hard as they will be up against a very good team in Kerala Blasters.

“For us, the last game is in the past and you cannot change it. It’s our first game at home and we are trying to work hard and to do our best. We are playing against a very good team with clear ideas. We hope to find their weak point and succeed on it,” Juan Pedro Benali asserted.

The ISL season and preferred winning mantra

It hasn’t been a usual ISL season so far. Star-studded teams have failed to get off the mark while the underdogs have excelled. Speaking about the same, Juan Pedro Benali said that small details make the difference and the teams need to be focused for 100 minutes.

He continued, “Nobody says that ISL will be easy. Every game is difficult, every game is a battle. There’s not much difference between teams. Small details make the difference. And we saw it at the beginning of the season. You need to be focused for 100 minutes of the game. I don’t say 90, it’s 100 minutes for me. You need to be fit, you need to succeed with the changes.”

Benali also added that bench strength is of paramount importance and is the mantra to win games. 

“And I say this all the time, the bench is very important. We have a very good bench. You finish the games very well and the bench wins the game. That’s what we saw in these two or three games of the first games of the ISL,” he noted.

ALSO READ: Gurmeet Singh reveals staying calm was key to his Durand Cup heroics

About referees and their decisions

While speaking about the referees, Juan Pedro Benali defended them and said that everyone makes mistakes. The 55-year-old tactician elaborated, “One point I’ll go in favor of the referees. They make mistakes like everyone. I don’t think they go to the field with the idea to harm somebody or to hurt somebody.

Maybe he is not in the right position to see a foul or to see a corner or to see something. And the referees don’t come to me and tell me, ‘Oh coach, you make a mistake playing 4-4-2, 3-5-2, why you change this player or change that player’.”

He also revealed that these mistakes are the beauty of football and that the referees cannot be blamed all the time as he said, “When the game finishes, I don’t go to the referee to tell him that you made this mistake or that mistake. This has happened. One day for me, one day against me. This is the beauty of football.

“When the VAR comes, that’s another story. No, we have what we have. We need to help each other. We are in the same boat. If we want football to develop, we need to be also good with the referees. They cannot receive the slaps of our time,” Benali added.

Pressure of playing at home

When asked about his thoughts on playing at home and if there’s any pressure, Juan Pedro Benali summarised, “No, it’s a pleasure. No pressure. It’s really a pleasure to play at home. Don’t forget that since we started on the 14th of July, all the games we played were away. We played in Kokrajhar, Shillong, and Kolkata. We are fantastically happy to play at home in front of our fans. It’s a great feeling.”

Plans for Kerala Blasters’ forward line

Noah Sadaoui and Kwame Peprah have picked up pace and they looked really good together for Kerala Blasters. When asked about how he plans to keep them at bay, Juan Pedro Benali replied and concluded, “They are very good. Not only Noah and Peprah. If Luna comes, he gives that freshness to the team. It’s a very balanced team with Aimen on the side. They’re very good players with a good coach. It’s not going to be easy for both the teams and we need to be compact and be together.”

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