"I call him Qudrat" "For us, he's god-sent" - Emami director Aditya Agarwal lauds Carles Cuadrat's reign with East Bengal | ISL 2024-25
A whip off Cleiton Silva's ever-reliable boot and a wave of Carles Cuadrat's magic wand ended East Bengal FC's 12-year national trophy drought at the start of the year, when the club conquered the Kalinga Super Cup defeating hosts Odisha FC in the final.
What once felt like an endless thirst for relief from the supporters, was finally quenched, and the man behind it? A man nurtured and matured within the walls of football's own Hogwarts - La Masia - now turned messiah in a foreign land for an eccentric bunch of supporters who prefer to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
While delivering the opening statement during East Bengal's squad unveiling event on Monday, July 22, Aditya Vardhan Agarwal, the director of Emami Group, the club's investor, bared out a nuanced anecdote regarding his unconventional address of head coach Cuadrat.
"I call him Qudrat from the very first day. I don't know why! Qudrat means god [more appropriately divine in Urdu] and I would say, for us, he's god-sent," Agarwal remarked.
It was meant to be an offhand remark, a statement in passing. Yet, it encompassed a million emotions the Spaniard had garnered only after a season in charge. And then, Agarwal followed it up with:
"I hope under his leadership the team will continue to grow and play with the same spirit of winning games."
Understandable. Such reverence doesn't come without expectations, and plenty is resting on the stout shoulders of Cuadrat. But the 55-year-old denied shying away from them.
When the gaffer walked up to face questions from the gathered journalists, he was asked to reflect on how his experience differed between this event and a similar one at the start of last season. Without mincing words, Cuadrat made his observations clear.
"One big difference was that last season it was a surprise that the team reached two finals. I think if this season we reach a few finals, it's not going to be a surprise," he said.
"This is one of the best squads I have been managing" - Carles Cuadrat confident in East Bengal's assembled unit
During the summer transfer window, the Torchbearers made strategic and swift moves to strengthen their squad.
They welcomed a host of key players, including Dimitrios Diamantakos, the ISL 2023-24 Golden Boot winner; Madih Talal, last ISL season's top assist provider; and David Lalhlansanga, who clinched the Golden Boot in the Durand Cup.
Joining them will be Mark Zothanpuia, veteran goalkeeper Debjit Majumder, Provat Lakra, and the high-profile signing Jeakson Singh.
With the additions is this current East Bengal squad one of the best Cuadrat has managed? Well, the Spanish tactician answered:
"I came to India in 2016 and I've seen a lot of situations, a lot of games, a lot of players, but this is one of the best squads I have been managing. But previously too, I worked with Bengaluru FC's champion team that was getting results and trophies, so it's a pleasure to work with such players."
And what about the enormous pressure of performing that comes with such a squad at your disposal?
"Of course, it's going to be pressure, but in football, we learn to live with pressure," Cuadrat averred.
Meanwhile, skipper Cleiton Silva, who was also present at the event, outlined what he identified as the club's targets for the season.
“Our target first will be making a top-six finish in the ISL and from there we can think of improving to the next stage. Apart from that, we will always try to win the Cups in the other tournaments that we play,” the Brazilian said.
East Bengal will kick off their 2024-25 campaign with the Durand Cup before shifting their focus to the all-important AFC Champions League 2 preliminary stage match against Turkmenistan’s FC Altyn Asyr on August 14.