Since his arrival 10 years ago, Antonio Lopez Habas has earned a reputation of being a stickler for discipline. On Saturday, he returned to Indian club football as a coach, beginning his new stint with Mohun Bagan SG and guiding them to a fighting 2-2 draw with East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League’s first-leg Kolkata derby. If the result keeps the veteran Spanish coach’s unbeaten record against the city’s traditional arch-rivals intact, it also halted Mohun Bagan’s three-match losing run, with which they ended the league’s pre-Asian Cup phase.
However, Habas’s starting line-up against East Bengal also grabbed headlines, reminding one of his old days as a strict disciplinarian. A fit and raring-to-go Hugo Boumous didn’t even make the Bagan squad, raising questions whether the Morocco-born Frenchman would fit into the new coach’s scheme of things. Not long ago, the rumour mill was abuzz with the possibility of his exit from the team during the January transfer window. Instead what we ended up getting was the removal of Juan Ferrando from the dub-out and Habas’s elevation to the coach from the position of technical director. But Habas’s move on Saturday could be an indication that there’s a question mark over the playmaker’s future again.
The team management has been tight-lipped over such a development and the player is expected to resume training under Habas from Monday. However, the Boumous conundrum has gained momentum since it has coincided with the arrival of former Finland international Joni Kauko in the city. Both Boumous and Kauko watched the derby together from the stands. But there’s a possibility that Kauko – who is a free player now and who has already started training with the team – could be assimilated in the green-and-maroon brigade earlier than expected if his fitness satisfies Habas and his coaching staff.
Mohun Bagan will host struggling and last-placed Hyderabad FC in their next ISL match here on Saturday. Apart from key defenders Anwar Ali and Brendan Hamill, who suffered injuries during the derby, Deepak Tangri is also ruled out of the match owing to the accumulation of four cards. It remains to be seen if the ice is broken between Habas and Boumous in the interregnum. Meanwhile, East Bengal’s influential winger Mahesh Naorem Winger – who was taken to a city hospital after suffering an injury during the derby – was discharged on Saturday night itself and returned to the team hotel. According to team sources, although his injury is not reported to be serious, he has been put under medical observation. East Bengal will be on the road taking on NorthEast United on Saturday.
