"The only positive from this tournament is the AFC slot" - East Bengal boss Stephan Constantine voices his displeasure at Hero Super Cup's format
Following a disappointing Indian Super League (ISL) campaign, East Bengal are back in action in the Hero Super Cup. They are placed in Group B and are set to face Odisha FC at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri on Sunday, April 9.
Earlier, the Red and Gold Brigade announced that head coach Stephan Constantine will leave the club at the end of the tournament. He will look to finish on a high note before his eventual departure.
Their opponent, Odisha FC, qualified for the playoffs of the ISL 2022-23. In the first game between the two sides, East Bengal conceded their two-goal advantage, with the Juggernauts scoring four in the second half to complete the comeback.
The second game between the sides was a competitive affair but East Bengal were once again on the wrong end of the scoreline. Constantine opened up about his team’s upcoming opponents in the pre-match press conference. He said:
"We have played them twice in the ISL. In the first game, we should've beaten them but we lost, and in the second game we should’ve drawn but we lost. So, we're looking forward to the game and hopefully, we get the result we want," he said.
The teams are back after a one-month hiatus, but Constantine was infuriated by the timing of the tournament. Quizzed about the reasons behind his displeasure, he stated:
"If you had the Super Cup throughout the season, that will include all of the I-League and ISL teams with a knockout format. Not a tournament. A cup is not a tournament, it’s knockout.
"This is not a knockout, this is three games and we have to comply with the AFC rules to get enough games. But then why do we only have twelve teams in the Indian Super League, there are twenty-two games, top six and bottom six."
The East Bengal manager added:
"If there are another 10 games played and the Super Cup is played in between with a knockout format, there's your criteria to comply with the AFC rules with good competition. I don’t know why we are doing that, instead of this.
"The only positive from this tournament is the AFC slot. Other than that, nothing. As I said, there should have been a knockout format all through the season."
“It is going to be tight” - Odisha FC boss Clifford Miranda on opponents East Bengal FC
Odisha FC, meanwhile, had a successful ISL season as they qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. But following the defeat in the playoff tie against ATK Mohun Bagan, head coach Josep Gombau parted ways with the club.
Assistant manager Clifford Miranda has taken charge of the club until the end of the Super Cup. The former India international will hope to get off to a winning start against East Bengal but believes that the game will be contested closely.
"We are up against an ISL side and it’s not easy, he said. We played twice against East Bengal, it was a very close game. Never mind the result, the game was close and in the ISL except for Mumbai City FC, Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan, the rest of the teams are more or less at the same level, so it is going to be tight," he stated.
"We have to play to our maximum level and to the best of our ability to get a result. They have some very good players as well, so it is not easy. Only one team qualifies, so it is going to be tight," Miranda added.
The conditions in Kerala are certainly not ideal. However, Miranda revealed that his team have no complaints and believes that his side will need to be motivated to qualify for the semi-finals.
"We are trying to adapt. We have had two training sessions and the heat effects, but it is what it is for every team and we have had no complaints. The games are going to be close and we need to stay motivated and that's the most important thing," the former midfielder added.
"We will try to get the results until the last game. If you win two games and don’t have a favorable result in the third game, its going to be difficult as only one team qualifies for the semi-finals," he explained.
East Bengal and Odisha FC will square off on Sunday, April 8. The two clubs will also face Hyderabad FC and I-League outfit Aizwal FC in their respective Group B encounters.