Habas’ outfit focused on its ‘football morals’; Vukomanovic’s side looks to turn a new page
An absorbing contest is on the cards as last edition’s runner-up ATK Mohun Bagan meets former finalist Kerala Blasters FC in the opening match of the Indian Super League’s eighth season, which gets underway at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao on Friday evening.
The Kolkata outfit — born out of the merger of ISL’s most successful outfit ATK FC and Asia’s oldest club Mohun Bagan — has remained in preservation mode, retaining much of previous season’s squad under the very same coach, Antonio Lopez Habas.
Kerala Blasters, which ended runner-up twice in 2014 and 2016, is looking to turn a new page under new head coach Ivan Vukomanovic of Serbia.
Habas, who admitted that he does not know too much about Blasters’ possible formation and style under Vukomanovic, said he wanted his team to focus on its football morals. “All the time my morals in football are more important. This means that my team will perform its own plan for 80 to 85% while the rest 15 to 20% is respect for the opponent,” Habas said ahead of the opener.
Vukomanovic sought to look ahead, putting the past behind. “In football, the good thing is that you can have a new game every three days. In our case, there is a new chapter, there is a new game. So all the history is behind us,” he said.
Blasters lost both matches against ATK MB last season, including the opener in which they went down by a solitary goal.
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