Antonio Iriondo: Out of all teams, ATK has been the most difficult

The Spanish tactician saw his team taste defeat for the first time this season and expects improvement from his players.

Jamshedpur FC were handed their first defeat in the ongoing Indian Super League, as they went down 3-1 to a spirited performance from ATK. Antonio Iriondo reflected on the game which saw three penalties being awarded by the referee on a rainy night at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

Two penalties from Roy Krishna and a late goal from Edu Garcia were enough to send ATK to the top of the league standings, while Sergio Castel scored for the Men of Steel from a penalty as well.

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Speaking to the media after the game, Iriondo talked about this being the toughest challenge his team have faced yet. He opened his interaction by reflecting on the defeat saying, “Yes, they played better than us. We don’t have to (give) penalties that are not penalties.”

On being asked about his opinion on the two penalties his side conceded, the tactician deflected the question saying, “My players said one of them was a penalty and the other was not a penalty.”

Analyzing The Game

“We are improving with almost every game. We have three players in the national team. It’s a new team of new players, with the way of playing. With time and hard work, we can improve and get better than this week.”

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-wRWaedMKk&t=60s[/embed]

Watch: ATK 3-1 Jamshedpur FC highlights

Thoughts On ATK

"Out of all the teams we have played against at this point, ATK has been the most difficult obviously because we lost. They have a very good team with a lot of good players."

Piti's Injury Concerns

“We have not confirmed with the medical team yet, but Piti has a tear in his (hamstring) muscle and at least will be 21 days, we are yet to confirm with the medical team and then we’ll see," said Antonio Iriondo.

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Mobashir Rahman And Farukh Choudhary

“They have improved from every game, but if they can compete against top teams, they have to keep improving.”

Weather Conditions

“Rain falls for everyone. So, it’s the same for them and for us. It does not make a difference. But, I would like to say that the pitch was amazing. It is incredible with the amount of water that has fallen and (the pitch) keeps in good condition.”