ISL 2025-26: Oscar Bruzon fires warning and eyes win ahead of must-win clash vs Odisha

East Bengal will lock horns against Odisha next at Fatorda in ISL.

East Bengal will face off against Odisha FC in their ninth match of the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) The match was initially a home match for the Red and Gold Brigade but due to elections in West Bengal the match was shifted to Odisha. Later on it was again shifted to Goa, due to ongoing construction work at the Kalinga Stadium in odisha. So this match will be an away match for both the ISL sides. The match is scheduled to take place at the JLS Stadium, Fatorda, Goa, at 7:30 PM (IST).

In their remaining five matches, the Red & Gold Brigade will face intense clashes against the likes of Mumbai City and Punjab FC – as well as the highly anticipated Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan on May 17. All that Oscar Bruzon’s side can now aspire for is to win all their remaining matches and end the season on a high note, irrespective of whatever happens with the title race. 

East Bengal’s hopes of winning the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2025–2026 were dashed following a thrilling 3-3 tie with Bengaluru FC. That result has left them five points behind league leaders Mohun Bagan, with the Torchbearers having five more matches to play until the end of the campaign.

Ahead of the all-important clash, East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon and the Danish forward Anton Søjberg Horup have addressed the media.

Here is a detailed report of the pre-match press conference between East Bengal FC and Odisha FC.

Oscar eyes win against Odisha FC

Oscar Bruzon eyes nothing but a win against Odisha FC when they lock horns against the Kalinga Warriors at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa, this week. This match is very important for East Bengal’s title-winning quest this year in ISL 2025-26.

Oscar stated, “Yes, as Anton said, the match against Odisha is very important for us. We are taking the game very seriously. Odisha is very good at build-ups, very good at attacks. They are playing really well this season, but in a few of their last matches, they were unlucky as they couldn’t execute their plans properly in the final third. Even in the match against Kerala, they were the dominant side but lost the match in the last few minutes of the game after conceding. I believe Odisha is a side that this year would finish in the middle of the table. Everyone was worried about their late pre-season, and they are playing with only one foreigner, but playing really well.”

“Yes, you could see two foreign strikers play against Odisha. But we will plan accordingly, as the game demands of us. In the last game, we went with two foreign strikers in the last few minutes of the game to get the equaliser as we were down to 10-men. But again, we will decide our playing eleven depending on the situation of the game, availability of Miguel, Rashid and Anwar. But as I have told you, in ISL it always depends on how you finish the game rather than how you start the game. This proves your game mentality, so we need to play according to the situation of the match and what it demands from us, he also added.”

Oscar Bruzon’s views on Miguel’s Red Card

Brazilian midfielder Miguel Figueira, one of the key players this season for the Red and Gold Brigade, was given a red card in the last match against Bengaluru FC in the first half of the match. As a result, he will be out for quite a few matches at this crucial stage of the league, and this is a huge setback for the Torchbearers as well. Oscar Bruzon was not happy with this decision during the last match, and in this press conference, he shared his frustration with the red card decision.

Bruzon stated, “Regarding Miguel, I will say the same thing that I said in the press conference last week. The red card should be revoked immediately. We’ve been punished heavily already in the last match, as we had to play with only 10 players for 70-odd minutes. Absolutely nothing happened in the action where he got the red card. But the same action took place in the World Cup with Messi, but he was not punished. So, you tell me what the case is from my side regarding Miguel’s red card. If they’re gonna ban one-two-three-five-seven games, it will attack the total integrity of the league, according to me. And especially when you have a league of 13 games and not 39, then a ban of 3 matches will cost you heavily in the 9 matches that are left to be played. Whether he will travel with us to Goa depends on the decision of the federation. So we respect the decision of the federation,, but they should understand that we have already been punished enough during the game against Bengaluru where we played with only 10 players for 70 minutes, he also added.”

Oscar gave updates on the availability of Rashid and Anwar

The Spanish Gaffer stated: “We are waiting for Miguel’s decision. Mahesh is not available as well. So two of our best creators in the midfield will be unavailable in our next matches. This is a slight concern for us, but as Anton said, when someone is not available, we need to show that resilience on the field and we need to give extra to go well. The characteristics that Miguel and Mahesh give with their assists and Rashid and Anwar give with their defensive-holding capabilities are important for the team. Rashid and Anwar still have slight injuries, and they will train with the team, and whether they will travel with us to Goa or play in the match against Odisha, we will decide accordingly, he added.”

On East Bengal’s chance of winning the title this year

Oscar Bruzon is hopeful of winning their remaining matches of the season and finishing the league in a better position than in comparison to the previous seasons.

Oscar stated, “There are six teams that are thinking the same thing right now. So if you ask all six coaches from hereon, they will say they want to win their next five matches to win the Championship this year. But for us, the most important game now is the Odisha match in Goa on the 28th. We need to win this game, and then we will get 18 points from 9 matches. After that, we will face three of our strongest rivals from the top six, Mumbai, Punjab and Mohun Bagan, that gonna decide where we will finish this season. But the game against Odisha on the 28th will be a crucial game for us. We would like to finish in the top five, maybe top three, but if the results favour us, we may target the top position as well.”

“I think that we are one of the few teams this year that is playing a good brand of football, along with Punjab. We like to dominate, counterattack and defend when needed. But the injuries to some of the players in some crucial positions are causing a headache for us; we are playing with a different playing eleven in every game. But regarding our tactical fluidity and flexibility we are on the right track. We are analysing our rivals quite well during the games and playing according to the demand of the matches.”

“No, I don’t have any complaints about fixtures this year. Many teams are struggling to organise their home matches in their home ground this year. Many of them are playing most of their games away from their home. So we must not complain about the number of home games this season, as you all know how this season was planned at the last moment, and all the things took place so quickly. We also don’t even know when the season will end this year, as there is no announcement yet. So in the first 6-7 games of the season, the game was quite fair, but some of the decisions given in the last few matches are very unfortunate and unfair, as I have already told in the last press conference.”

“Yes, we need to stay focused on the competitive side of the game rather than on the provocations from outside. Decisions were quite in favour of us in the first 5-6 matches of the season, but now suddenly, in the crucial stage of the league, some teams are getting some favour, and some are being punished without any reason. But more than a hundred decisions went against us in the last season compared to this season so far. But again, we need to remain calm and not get swayed away and react to the provocations as you have mentioned.“

“We need to choose how we react to these kinds of provocations. But I want to know regarding Miguel’s incident what action will be taken against the referee, and whether he will get a ban too. Will he not ref anymore, so there should be an equal proportion to the punishment given to the player and the referee to maintain the integrity of the league? Yes, we need to be calmer on the field, considering the situation of the game and what action can be taken against these reactions given on this kind of provocations, he finished off.

Anton Sojberg is enjoying his time in East Bengal outfit

East Bengal’s Danish forward Anton Søjberg Horup also addressed the media along with head coach Oscar Bruzon before their all-important must-win clash against Odisha FC in the ISL 2025-26. Anton scored the vital equaliser in the last match against Bengaluru FC at the Salt Lake Stadium during the stoppage time and helped the Torchbearers to secure one point from the thrilling encounter as the Red and Gold Brigade were down to 10-men in the first half.

Anton stated, “Yes, every match from hereon is important for us. So we are taking the Odisha game very seriously. Odisha might be playing this year to avoid relegation, but they are a good team and will try to win this match and come hard on us. So we want to stay focused and win this match against Odisha.”

“This is the name of the game. I am eager to play more matches for East Bengal FC. I am happy to score the goal in the last match against Bengaluru, and would like to score more goals for the team.”

“I think I’ve settled in quite well with the team, adapted well to the weather here. The coach and the people in the team are very good and supportive. I am very happy to play for a club like East Bengal FC. I am happy to play in any position wherever the coach wants me to play. I am happy to score goals or make assists. The call is up to the coach whether he will go with me in the playing eleven or if I will come as a substitute from the bench. But whenever I get a chance to play, I also have a role to play in the game.”

“Miguel’s red card was very unfortunate in the last game. So in his absence, we need to be more united as a team and give our best so that we can get all three points. Red cards are a part of the game. Fans were superb during our last game; their support always motivates us. East Bengal has the best fanbase around the World, I want to win more matches for them. They should keep supporting us like this for more positive results.”

“The main challenge after coming to India was the weather, but I had adapted well after taking suggestions from the coaches. Here the culture is also quite different from Denmark, but then slowly I got gametime, and in the last match I was able to show my abilities. I am working hard in the practice sessions with my coaches to get the best out of myself for East Bengal. He finished off

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