Latest news with #DavidCatala
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Super Cup 2025: Catala slams players' mentality after quarterfinal exit
Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) head coach David Catala criticised the mentality of his players after they succumbed to a 1-2 loss against a young Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) side in their Super Cup 2025 quarterfinal match at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday. Former KBFC midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad scored the opening goal, while 20-year-old Suhail Bhat scored the eventual winner to send MBSG into the semifinal, where it will face FC Goa. 'I am disappointed because we had some expectations for this competition. We tried to change the mentality of the players, but I can see that some of them still have not changed,' Catala told the media at the post-match press conference. ALSO READ | Mohun Bagan Super Giant youngsters pass Kerala Blasters test to book spot in last four After a promising win against defending champion East Bengal in the round of 16, KBFC failed to match the quality and had a forgettable time in defence as well as in front of goal. MBSG's young wingers, Salahudheen Adnan K and Ashique Kuruniyan, made light work of skipping past KBFC fullbacks Huidrom Naocha Singh and Hormipam Ruivah, respectively, before setting up the goals for their side. 'I thought that we were strong in defence, but then we ended up conceding two easy goals. We knew their strength and that they were going to attack us from the sides, but still we were very soft in the 1v1's and it ended up costing us the game,' Catala admitted. In attack, Spanish striker Jesus Jimenez, who was the club's top scorer in the recently concluded Indian Super League season (11 goals), missed as many as three clear-cut chances in the second half. He sent two close-range attempts off target in a span of three minutes before miscuing his shot into the opposition goalkeeper's gloves with the goal at his mercy, late in the game. 'We had a lot of chances to score, but we were not efficient enough. If you really are ready and concentrating 100 per cent, then we simply cannot miss these chances. Meanwhile, they (MBSG) created just two or three clear chances and scored two goals,' Catala said. When asked if the absence of the injured Adrian Luna played a factor in the loss, Catala refused to make excuses and asserted that football is a team game, and it would not be fair to depend on just one player. 'We are a team, so it is not a matter of missing just one player. I think we were not strong enough to compete today, and this is something that we need to improve on for our upcoming season,' Catala concluded.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Kalinga Super Cup: A young Mohun Bagan eyes semifinal spot vs Kerala Blasters; Goa locks horns with Punjab
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) will test the waters in Kalinga Super Cup 2025 with a young, experimental squad when it faces Kerala Blasters (KBFC) in the quarterfinal at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday. MBSG clinched the domestic double – Indian Super League (ISL) Cup and League Winner's Shield – this season, but will have none of its foreign players from the regular season in the Super Cup squad. Instead, former U-21 Portugal international Nuno Reis will be the only non-Indian player in the contingent, while assistant coach Bastab Roy has replaced head coach Jose Francisco Molina for the tournament. MBSG's foreigners had contributed to 48 of 52 goals (32G, 16A) in ISL 2024-25, and their absence could see Indians like Ashique Kuruniyan (two starts in 2024-25 season compared to 12 last season) and Sahal Abdul Samad (eight starts instead of 13 last season), who struggled for game time in the regular season, take centre-stage. It will also be MBSG's opening match in the Super Cup after it got a bye in the round of 16 after Churchill Brothers, its scheduled opponent, withdrew. 'We are treating this tournament as an opportunity for young guys to find out how they can perform in the long run,' Bastab said during the pre-match press conference. Meanwhile, KBFC looks to have turned the tide under new head coach David Catala. The side, which finished eighth in the league phase, appointed Catala before the tournament, and knocked out defending champion East Bengal 2-0 in his first competitive game in charge. ALSO READ: Kerala Blasters' David Catala: It's not my responsibility to develop Indians, I will choose the best 11 players Despite KBFC's hunt for a first trophy, Catala said that his main goal was to make sure that his players are focused on the next game and not the bigger picture. 'To start thinking about trophies right now is, for me, it's not right. It's not helping anyone, and we need to just focus on the task tomorrow,' Catala said. KBFC could fret over the availability of talisman Adrian Luna, who missed the team's practice session on the eve of the last-eight clash. The 33-year-old midfielder came off early in the second half of the match against EBFC with a suspected muscle injury. Marquez eyes Super Cup glory as FC Goa takes on Punjab FC Later in the day, Manolo Marquez's hope of bringing the curtains down on his tenure as FC Goa coach with a trophy will face a stern challenge when his side takes on Punjab FC. After its semifinal heartbreak against Bengaluru FC in the ISL, FCG bounced back in the Super Cup with a 3-0 win against I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC, courtesy of a hat-trick from Spanish forward Iker Guarrotxena. The Gaurs remain the only team in the competition who can win the Super Cup for the second time, after lifting the cup in 2019. Meanwhile, despite a disappointing ISL campaign where it finished 10th, PFC produced a controlled showing in its round of 16 clash against Odisha FC, winning 3-0. It will be boosted by the fitness of forward Luka Majcen, who missed the opener with injury. RELATED: FC Goa beats Gokulam Kerala to enter quarterfinals; Punjab FC edges past Odisha FC PFC's head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said the Slovenian had trained with the team yesterday.. 'Today, we will go to the field to double-check, and then we will make a decision according to whatever strategy and plans we have for the game (against FCG),' Dilmperis said.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Second-string Mohun Bagan takes on Blasters; Goa clashes with Punjab
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) will begin its quest to finish the season with a third piece of silverware when it takes on Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) in the Kalinga Super Cup quarterfinal at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday. It will be MBSG's first appearance in this edition of the Super Cup after its round-of-16 opponent, Churchill Brothers FC Goa, withdrew from the tournament. Moreover, the Mariners' squad will be notably missing the services of its six foreign players, who have been rested after a taxing season. 'This tournament we are treating as an exposure for the young guys, and find out how they can perform in the long run,' MBSG assistant coach Bastab Roy said during the pre-match press conference. On the other hand, KBFC head coach David Catala had a perfect start to his stint as his side beat defending champion East Bengal 2-0 in its opening match. However, he warned his players to focus on the game at hand instead of dreaming of a maiden trophy for the club. 'To start thinking about trophies right now is, for me, it's not right. It's not helping anyone, and we need to just focus on the task tomorrow,' Catala said. Later in the day, Manolo Marquez's hope of finishing his tenure as FC Goa coach with a trophy will face a stern challenge when his side takes on Punjab FC in the second quarterfinal. Both Goa and Punjab are coming off convincing 3-0 wins against Gokulam Kerala FC and Odisha FC, respectively. Goa is the only side remaining in the competition that can win it for a second time, having won the Cup in 2019.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Kerala Blasters head coach David Catala: It's not my responsibility to develop Indians, I will choose the best 11 players
With football providing an opportunity to travel to different places and experience different cultures, David Catala finds himself in India on his latest challenge. Life at Kerala Blasters has started on the right foot for him when in his maiden game in charge, his side ousted defending champion East Bengal to enter the Super Cup quarterfinals with a comfortable 2-0 win. The Spaniard is the club's third head coach this season, after Mikael Stahre and interim coach T. G. Purushothaman, who has been handed the responsibility to change the side's fortunes. The 2024-25 Indian Super League campaign saw the Yellow Army finish a lowly eighth after the Blasters made three successive playoff appearances under former head coach Ivan Vukomanovic between 2022 and 2024. Sportstar caught up with Catala ahead of Kerala Blasters' quarterfinals clash against Mohun Bagan Super Giant as he spoke about his first impressions, grappling with expectations, and more. Excerpts: Q: In your first press conference, you said that you wanted to change the players' mindset after a disappointing season. Has that happened? A: Yes, we're on the way. We're working on it. My first target indeed is to remove all the bad energy. I notice a little change about the team, the mentality. We need to improve a lot, but we're on the right path. READ | Kerala Blasters beats East Bengal 2-0, knocks defending champion out of Super Cup Q: You say you need to improve a lot as well. Can you tell us where do you think the team needs to be better? A: There will be things to improve all the time. I have to adapt as fast as I can since I'm new and coming from another country. We are trying to improve in this short period of time, but it's not easy. The team is going step by step with the performance it wants. Kerala Blasters defeated defending champion East Bengal FC in the round of 16 of the Super Cup. | Photo Credit: Abhinav / Shibu Nair Photography AIFF Q: What were your first impressions when you met the team and the players? Is there anybody who stood out? How have Adrian Luna and Noah Sadaoui, who are used to Indian Football, helped you adjust? A: There is no doubt that we have a lot of good players with experience in the league. They were obviously disappointed after the season. So I spoke to them to see how they are feeling and to let them know that the Super Cup is a new opportunity for them to show how important they are for us. Q: Have you been able to implement your style or are you allowing the players to play the way they have been doing this season? A: I have tried to introduce a little bit about what I want to try and change. It's not easy to do it in 20 days because they have been working together for about 10 months. But I'm happy so far that the players are reacting very well. Q: How do you like your teams to play? Being from Barcelona, is your philosophy influenced by traditional Spanish football? A: I like to play possession-based football. When you have the ball, you will have more possibilities to score than your opponent but one has to adapt to the league. I'm not a crazy guy who just wants to keep the ball. If I see that I have players who can do it then okay. If I see that I have players who play more direct, we'll try to play more direct. It's going to depend on the opponent as well. It's going to depend on many things but my first target is to win games. Q: Before coming to Kerala Blasters, what was your idea of Indian football? A: I've been following the league for many years because I have friends who have played or coached here, and I'm in touch with them. I wanted to get their opinion. It's important to have the support of other colleagues, especially if they are of the same nationality. Q: You said you spoke to some of the Spanish coaches who have worked in India before coming. What did they have to say? David Catala will be the third head coach at Kerala Blasters this season. | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat/The Hindu A: I spoke with Manolo Marquez, and Carles Cuadrat. I also spoke with some players who have played in the ISL before. It's mostly asking about personal things. Maybe with Manolo, he would know some of the national team players. It was just to get some advice and I hope we can have more conversations with them because it's always good to share opinions with other coaches. Q: It's still a short time for you to judge but how different do you think Indian football is compared to the places you've worked in before? A: Whatever I have seen so far, the rhythm is not so high. But it's another league and it's very competitive. There are very good foreign players and the Indian players are also growing. It's a nice challenge for me to grow and develop myself. I hope that we can do a good job here. READ | FC Goa beats Gokulam Kerala to enter quarterfinals; Punjab FC edges past Odisha FC Q: As a coach working in the ISL, do you feel you have a responsibility towards improving the national team by developing more players if they are not getting the opportunity to play more minutes? A: Yes, it's true that the Indian players have to develop and have to grow. On whether it's my responsibility, it's not. I will use the best 11 players who I feel can put up the best performance. I don't care if they are 17 years old or 36. This is something [developing players] the club has to look into. The basics are to invest in the academies. You have a lot of population here and for sure you will have good players, but they need to have the basis to grow. I like to work with young players and help them develop. If they show me that they can play, I'll be the first to give them the chance. Q: Which positions do you think the team needs to strengthen? What are the conversations that you've had with the management in terms of transfers? A: Yes, it's something that we have spoken about, the positions and what we can improve for next season. Right now, I want to focus on the Super Cup and work with the players I have. The team needs to improve in all the positions and I have ideas to freshen up the team with players but we'll see. Q: Do you feel there is a certain sense of pressure on you to deliver or a lot of expectations from the KBFC's fan base? A: You will have pressure all the time, it doesn't matter if you are here or in any other country. People want results and they will be happy if you win games. I like the pressure and the expectations are very high, but we have to handle that. The people and players who don't know how to handle this maybe are not being able to play here. Q: You face Mohun Bagan and compatriot Jose Molina in the quarterfinals. Where do you think you need to be a bit more focused against a team like that? A: When you're facing a team like Mohun Bagan, you have to be a complete team. You have to be very focused on defence. The quality they have in front makes them a complete team and if you don't give your best performance, it'll be tough to beat them. For sure we're facing the best team in India and it's not going to be easy.
