Antonio Habas signs one-year extension with ATK Mohun Bagan

The tactician guided the team to second place and the ISL final last season..

ATK Mohun Bagan have extended the contract of head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. The club have repaid the manager’s good work, as he guided the Mariners to the final of their first-ever Indian Super League campaign.

The 63-year-old's current deal was coming to an end this year, but the extension ensures he will lead the team during the 2021/22 season too. ATK Mohun Bagan finished second in the league phase to Mumbai City FC and ended the season as runners-up after the playoffs, thus finishing without silverware.  

“I am very happy and determined about the new project. This time AFC will be our prime target.” the Spaniard exclusively told Khel Now after the announcement by the club on Wednesday. Habas has spent five years in India, having also coached FC Pune City for a season. 

ATKMB had one of the most balanced squads in the season gone by and the club management have ensured stability by extending Habas’ contract. The club will definitely reap the rewards of having Habas in-charge of the team and continuing on what they have built in recent years.

ISL clubs have had the tendency to be trigger-happy when it comes to sacking managers. Therefore, the extension of the deal comes as a surprise. The two-time ISL winner will now look to go one step further next season and add a third title to his cabinet.

The outfit will also hope to perform well in the AFC Cup. There are several avenues where Habas can improve an already balanced team. While their defensive unit remained strong throughout the season, over-reliance on Roy Krishna and David Williams on attack was evident.

It will be interesting to see how Antonio Habas tweaks his approach going into the next season and topples the supremacy of new champions, Mumbai City FC. Will he stick by his tried and tested methods or implements new tactics? Only time will tell.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.