NEU FC roll up sleeves for ISL 2024-25
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 13 2024: As NorthEast United (NEU) FC prepare for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season, they are high on confidence following their historic Durand Cup victory last month.

The Highlanders secured their first-ever trophy by defeating defending ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a dramatic penalty shootout, marking a significant milestone in the club's history.

Despite the recent success, head coach Juan Pedro Benali emphasised the importance of staying grounded and focused on the challenges ahead.

Speaking at the Club's Media Day in Guwahati, Benali underscored that the team is concentrating on their opening match against Mohammedan SC, rather than getting carried away by the Durand Cup triumph.

"Right now, our entire focus is on the first game against Mohammedan SC.

We are not thinking beyond that.

For us, it doesn't matter if we play home or away.

There are minor changes, but no big difference.

The expectation from the fans will always be there.

We are happy about that.

We want to nave our heads held high up in confidence, but at the same time, we want to keep our feet on the ground", Benali stated.

His sentiments were echoed by NEU FC CEO Mandar Tamhane, who hailed the Durand Cup victory as a testimony to the team's strong mentality.

Tamhane, who joined the club last season after a decade-long tenure with Bengaluru FC, believes that this achievement will inspire other teams in Indian football.

"Our Durand Cup success will give a lot of motivation to players, coaches, and teams alike.

We were up against the Mohun Bagan Super Giant team that had several Indian national team players.

We were at the Salt Lake Stadium, which was filled with 35,000 Mohun Bagan supporters.

At least in the Kolkata Derby, the allegiances of the fans are divided between two teams, but here they were all Mohun Bagan fans.

In such a situation for us to come back from 2-0 down at half-time shows the mentality of our players and the coach," Tamhane opined.

Benali also provided insights into the positive atmosphere within the team, emphasising the strong sense of family that permeates the club.

He credited the club's management, including Tamhane and co-owner John Abraham, for creating an environment where every detail is taken care of, allowing the team to focus entirely on their performance.

NorthEast United FC will kick off their ISL 2024-25 campaign against Mohammedan SC at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on September 16, at 7:30 pm.

Fans can catch the ISL matches live on JioCinema, with streaming available in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam.

The matches will also be telecast live on Sports 18-3 in the same languages, with select matches being broadcast on Sports 18-1, Sports 18-2, Sports 18-Khel, and Asianet Plus (Malayalam) .

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