Guwahati: The NorthEast United Football Club (NEUFC) heads to the Indian Super League’s (ISL’s) 2024-25 season on the back of winning the first trophy in the club’s history after their Durand Cup triumph in August this year.
The Highlanders defeated defending ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in penalties in the final, and that should give the team ample confidence as they look to better their seventh-place finish from the ISL in the last season.
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NEUFC head coach Juan Pedro Benali asserted the team is staying in the present and focusing on the controllable factors to secure the desired results.
“Right now, our entire focus is on the first game against Mohammedan SC. We are not thinking beyond that. For us, it doesn’t matter if we play home or away. There are minor changes, but no big difference,” Benali said.
“The expectation from the fans will always be there. We are happy about that. We want to have our heads held high up in confidence but at the same time we want to keep our feet on the ground,” he added.
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The club’s CEO Mandar Tamhane, who joined the team last season after a 10-year-long stint with Bengaluru FC, said the Durand Cup success is a testament to the strong mentality of the Highlanders.
He mentioned that they overcame the odds to clinch the title and quipped that the result would inspire several teams in the Indian footballing landscape.
“Our Durand Cup success will give a lot of motivation to the players, coaches and the teams alike. We were up against the Mohun Bagan Super Giant team that had several Indian national team players. We were at the Salt Lake Stadium, which was filled with 35,000 Mohun Bagan supporters,” Tamhane said.
“At least in the Kolkata Derby, the allegiances of the fans are divided between two teams, but here they were all Mohun Bagan fans. In such a situation for us to come back from 2-0 down at half-time shows the mentality of our players and the coach,” he added.
Benali shared insights about the mood inside the dressing room, reiterating that all their needs are well taken care of by the management. He stated that the team is maintaining a calm and positive outlook ahead of the campaign.
The tactician hailed the familial spirit in the NEUFC setup and clarified that his mental outlook going into the ISL’s 2024-25 season is fresh and geared up for success.
“The mood in the dressing room is the same as it was last year. We are a family on our own. I am talking not just about the players but also the people in the office, the ground staff and everyone involved, they take a lot of effort in helping us feel at home,” Benali said.
“We have Mandar Tamhane and John Abraham looking after the smallest as well as the biggest of the necessities of the team. That is why the dressing room is calm. We know we have a big responsibility on our shoulders. I am starting this ISL season with a very fresh mind,” he added.
NEUFC begins their 2024-25 campaign against Mohammedan SC in Kolkata’s Kishore Bharati Krirangan at 7.30 pm on September 16.