The Indian Super league witnessed a coaching merry-go-round of sorts with ATK Mohun Bagan’s mercurial Antonio Habas quitting his post. Bagan then triggered the release clause of FC Goa’s Juan Ferrando and took his assistant Javi Hernandez in the process as well.
Antonio Habas is the ISL’s most successful coach. The Spaniard is known to be a pragmatic boss who prefers his teams to score first and then keep the scoreline to that. But this season, Habas’ team was unlike any he has managed in the ISL: 13 goals scored and 13 goals conceded in six matches.
Bagan started this season on the highest of notes. They were playing positionally fluid football with a five-man backline where the wingbacks would stay in the middle of the park and were flexible in their role.
The change in style augmented some great results at the start of the season. Results that made it seem as if Bagan were title contenders. Then Mumbai City FC happened. Coming into the game, Mumbai were not in the best of form and it seemed like Bagan could have pulled off the win.