Kolkata: The last time Jose Molina replaced Antonio Lopez Habas, he won the Indian Super League (ISL). If expectations are higher this time around, it is because ISL has grown since Molina won in 2016, including one in Asia there will be three more competitions he will be involved in. And while ATK were newbies, Mohun Bagan are in their third century. Add to that a roster with three Australian forwards who have been part of the last two World Cup finals.
“Right now, everybody wants to beat Mohun Bagan,” said Molina, at his official presentation on Tuesday. This was after Sanjiv Goenka, the team’s principal owner, said that the idea behind improving a star-studded squad with additions such as Jamie Maclaren, a serial Golden Boot winner in A-League and one of the three with World Cup experience, central defenders Thomas Aldred and Alberto Rodriguez, and Lalengmawia Ralte, India’s best central midfielder, is to “perform better internationally”.
That’s been one of Goenka’s aims since merging ATK with Mohun Bagan in January 2020. For all the success in ISL – three titles with ATK, one with ATK-Mohun Bagan and the league shield with Mohun Bagan Super Giant – that has not happened. The farthest any version of Mohun Bagan under Goenka have gone in AFC Cup, Asia’s second-level competition, is the inter-zonal semi-final, basically the second round.
In the revamped Asian competition structure, Mohun Bagan will be in the main round of Asian Champions League 2 along with teams fourth in the leagues in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, the runners-up from Iraq and champions of Uzbekistan and Jordan. The draw is scheduled on August 16 and the main round starts in September.
But it is not just Asia Bagan are interested in. “The RPSG Group (which owns Mohun Bagan Super Giant) has four ISL trophies but that doesn’t mean we are not hungry for a fifth,” said Goenka. “We play to win every match, in the Durand Cup, ISL and in Asia,” he said, sat between Molina and Maclaren. Ergo, each sub has to make an immediate impact, each player must make himself count, in and out of possession.
First up is the Durand Cup where Mohun Bagan are the defending champions and where they began with a 1-0 win against Jammu’s Downtown Heroes. Mohun Bagan play Indian Air Force on August 8 and East Bengal 10 days later. “Since I reached a little over 24 hours ago, I have been told a number of times about August 18,” said Maclaren,31, who has joined from Melbourne City on a four-year deal.
“I want to win trophies and I am hungrier than five years ago,” said Maclaren, adding that he has joined a squad where he has friends in Dimitri Petratos (teammates at Brisbane Roar) and Cummings and has played against Aldred. “I don’t feel the pressure. I feel excitement. I am joining a very good team.”
Imposing yourself on a changing room stocked with India internationals, ISL stars such as Petratos and Jason Cummings (31 goal contributions between them in ISL 10) and Maclaren (103 goals for Melbourne City), can be a challenge but one Molina, 53, should be able to deal with. The former goalkeeper has played for Spain, had long stints at Atletico Madrid and Deportivo la Coruna and was the Spain federation’s sporting director from 2018 to 2022 through two World Cup campaigns.
“We will try to dominate games,” said Molina. He certainly has a squad that can.
“Anwar Ali sweet kid”
Anwar Ali was the elephant in the room till Goenka addressed it. “He is a great player and we at Mohun Bagan have nothing but affection for him. He is a sweet kid,” said Goenka replying to whether the India central defender will be part of Mohun Bagan’s plans this season.
“We are Mohun Bagan. We are dignified and we do not react to provocation,” said Goenka ahead of the All India Football federation’s Players’ Status Committee meeting on Friday that is likely to take up Ali’s issue.
On a four-year loan from Delhi FC till 2027, Ali has asked to be released by Mohun Bagan amid reports that he will sign a long-term deal with East Bengal. Ali, 23, had asked Mohun Bagan to make the loan deal permanent this term and has wanted out after the club, citing his current agreement, refused. Ali asked Mohun Bagan following a FIFA directive in 2022 that all long-term loan deals need to end by July 1, 2025.