Khalid Jamil assures NEUFC will bounce back from disappointing season

The head coach thanked the fans for their support throughout the campaign.

NorthEast United played out their first draw against SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan on Monday. Khalid Jamil and his men are the first team to complete their campaign and are assured a 10th-placed finish this season.

Marco Sahanek opened the scoring for his side with a tap-in before Antonio Perosevic brought SC East Bengal back on level terms. After the game, Khalid Jamil addressed the media and shared his thoughts.

Learnings from Season

Khalid Jamil has been a part of NorthEast United’s setup for three years now. He looked back on his first season as the head coach of NorthEast United and shared his thoughts. He said, “Biggest learning is that I got more chances in the first 7-8 games.

"We tried our best this season and the competition was also very high. It is good that I gave everybody a chance to play. Even though we had injury concerns, we tried everything.”

Vision Before Start of ISL 8

Khalid shared his initial thoughts and plans before coming into this season and said that he tried his best, but couldn’t deliver results. “Before we started the season, I spoke to John (Abraham) sir and Priya (Runchal) ma’am and they told me that they want to win the cup.”

“But unfortunately, I wasn’t up to the mark this season. I tried my best, but the results were not in our favour. Yes, I’ve one more year's contract and let’s see what happens in the future,” he asserted.

Reasons Behind Unfavourable Results

The head coach shared some light on the unfavourable results of his side this season. He said that there was a big problem with football, as his side struggled with injuries.

“The club gave me everything that I asked. The only problem was in football, as we didn’t get results due to injuries. We brought in new players and they also needed some time to settle. I tried my best in 7-8 games and then a new person came in and he also tried his best,” Jamil explained.

Message to Upcoming Generation of Indian Football

Khalid Jamil did not hold back and shared a quick message to the upcoming generation of Indian football. He said, “They have to work very hard and when you get your chance, give your best. You have to try and must have the willpower to do it.”

Message to Fans

Khalid Jamil signed off with a beautiful message to fans all across the country and apologized for the performances this season.

“I just want to thank the fans of NorthEast United for their support and also the other fans from Chennai and Kerala. I was a role-model as an Indian coach. We Indian people never get upset and try every time. I want to say sorry to the fans for this season and maybe we will try next season.

“ISL has done a wonderful job. From media managers, organizers to match referees, everyone did a great job. It was a difficult task to organize the league this season, as mentally everyone is not getting a fresh mind. So, I want to thank the ISL.

“We have to take it as an experience and we have to bounce back again. Everything will be fine if we work hard,” he signed off.

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