Players gave their best, says Odisha FC coach Sergio Lobera after ISL semi-final loss

Sergio Lobera also shed light on Odisha FC’s 2023-24 season.

Odisha FC had a heart-breaking end to their ISL 2023-24 season as they suffered a 2-0 loss against Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. 

The Kalinga Warriors entered the match with a one-goal lead after the first leg of the semi-final. Although Jason Cummings managed to find the net in the 22nd minute, Odisha kept on fighting hard on the field to deny any more goals. It was Sahal Abdul Samad who made a comeback to the team after remaining injured for a certain period of time, and in the dying moments salvaged the second goal for his side to help them bag a win and book a place in the ISL final. 

The post-match press conference was attended by Odisha FC’s head coach Sergio Lobera. Excerpts are below:

Playing in front of huge crowd 

The Salt Lake Stadium had an attendance of 62,007, who mostly came to support Mohun Bagan. They kept cheering for their club throughout the match and their support boosted the energy of the players and the game as well. 

Sergio Lobera said, “It’s amazing to play against such a huge crowd. This is the kind of game you want to play as a coach and as a player. I don’t think my team felt any pressure while playing in such an environment.”

“My players did an amazing job. But finally, the opponent took away the win. We shall congratulate them because they really played well in the match. Still I would say, first half goes to them and the second half to us,” he added.

‘We had our chances’

Undoubtedly Odisha FC had their chances in the middle but they couldn’t convert those to goals.

The coach stated, “We had our chances to score the goals and at the last moment we conceded one. As a coach, while going back to the dressing room, if I think what more can I ask from my players, then the answer will be – nothing. Because they have given their best.”

‘My biggest challenge’

Sergio Lobera has just turned Odisha FC from an underdog to a giant. The team has grabbed the eyeballs with their performance this season under their new tactician. 

“I will say thank you to my players. When I signed for the club, I knew it’s going to be the biggest challenge in my career. But at the end of the season, looking back at the performances, I can say, my players did very well. They finished top in the AFC Cup group stage, then we reached the final of the Super Cup and at the end we were just a fraction away from reaching another final,” the Spaniard concluded. 

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