The Boss Discusses A Big Win In Dhaka As The Blues Made It Through To The Knockouts

On the big win and qualification to the knockouts…

The only option we had to qualify to the next round was to come here and do what we did, play a good game and win. It was clear from the first minute that we were superior today. I’m very happy for everyone in our club – the board, the staff, the coaches and most importantly, the fans. We have made through with a lot of effort and it was an important result for us. Leading 2-0 after sixteen minutes made things a little easier for us. We took opportunities that fell our way in the first half and then on we dominated the possession and controlled the play. In the second half as well, we converted the chances and claimed the deserved the win.

On the motivation behind the campaign – coming from the qualifiers to winning the South zone…

In the last two seasons, we have played one final and a semifinal. We’ve always been very serious about the competition and it’s a massive one for not just for Bengaluru FC but for Indian football. I think all the players gave their best from the very beginning. For us it was a long season, and yes, we did have to play the qualifiers for the Group-Stage and now we have made it through. We’ll try to at least match our position from last year and there’s always a possibility of going all the way and it will be wonderful for the entire nation.

On the margin of the victory…

I honestly didn’t expect it (the 4-0 win). But what’s true is that we prepared for this game as it will be a final. We have trained more than ever for this clash, and everyone was very focused to play our game. From the first time, I saw that the boys were focused on the task at hand, and whenever we have played this way in the season, we have won games. So, it’s a big achievement to make it through to the next round.