ATK Mohun Bagan have removed Antonio Lopez Habas as coach. According to a statement from the club in a media WhatsApp group on Saturday afternoon, assistant Manuel Cascallana will be the interim coach.
“ATKMB has released Antonio Habas as coach for ATK Mohun Bagan (sic),” said the message which was dropped in the group at 13:59. The message came hours after journalists were asked to send questions for Habas, the ISL’s most successful coach with two titles, one final and semi-final berth each.
Habas, 64, is the first coach ATKMB have sacked since the coming together of ATK, twice winners of the Indian Super League, and Mohun Bagan, who have won the I-League twice, in 2020. In their first season in ISL, the club finished runners-up to Mumbai City FC.
Under Habas ATKMB began this season with successive wins, against Kerala Blasters and SC East Bengal. But they have been winless in their last four games which included a 1-5 loss to Mumbai City — Habas’ heaviest in India — and 1-2 to Jamshedpur FC in the next match. Two draws followed, 1-1 v Chennaiyin and 3-3 to Bengaluru FC following which Habas was quoted as saying, “It is clear. We have lost our identify.”
Those results coming not long after ATKMB lost 0-6 in the inter-zonal semi-final of the AFC Cup to Nasaf FC made Habas’ position untenable. Like in that match, Habas could use only four foreigners in the ISL this term. It was six when he won it in 2014 and five when he won the title again in 2019 and last term.
It will have to be seen who the club appoints as successor because travel restrictions due to Covid-19 and then entering the ISL bio-buble could be difficult.
ATKMB play NorthEast United next, on December 21.
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