Nothing has changed: It's going to be disciplined Atletico against all-out Chennaiyin in ISL opener

Chennai: Atletico de Kolkata may have won the Indian Super League title last season, but their coach Antonio Lopez Habas’ approach to the game was so controlled, measured and tactically rigid that there was hardly any entertainment provided by them apart from the opener. Let’s put them in the context of a Premier League team and Manchester United comes to mind: calculated and safe. It’s easy to see where Habas got these traits from. He has previously worked under Rafa Benitez and Berndt Schuster and apparently makes his team sign an attendance sheet before training everyday. His team reflects this on the pitch. What you get is a guarantee of results, a mish mash of narrow wins and hard fought draws. [caption id=“attachment_2453856” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Elano Blumer of Chennaiyin FC. Sportzpics[/caption] Last season, the team played out five 1-1 results and four goalless matches. “We still won the title,” Habas said when Firspost asked him whether he thought it was a boring approach. And will he change things around this time – now that he has tasted success in the ISL? “No I still want tactical discipline and commitment from the players,” he said. Habas starts almost all his training session with the same drill. He creates a couple of groups of players and asks them to pass the ball around quickly, all the while pushing the group without possession to press and press. This is the commitment factor he speaks about in press conferences – and the effect of such hard pressing was evident last season as Atletico committed the most number of fouls (250). “More than individual performances, it is about player behaviour and commitment for me,” he said, using the word for the third time in the pre-match press conference in Chennai. Habas also appreciates the fact that there will be more competition for them this season. While he has let star striker Fikru Teferra go and is without the services of Luis Garcia, Atletico’s management has snared last year’s player of the year Iain Hume, Copa del Rey winner (with Valencia) Jaime Gavilan and retained midfield linchpin Borja Fernandes. “We had best team last time, now is not the same like last year. I don’’t want to talk about defending champions or winning every game because once the league starts it’s about day by day action and three points, three points, three points,” Habas said. If Habas wants to test his side’s commitment, he couldn’t have asked for a better opponent than Chennaiyin FC to face in the opener. The table-toppers bowed out of the semifinal last season and play the polar opposite style. Marco Materazzi may be an Italian defender but makes his team play route one direct football. Chennaiyin pumped in the most number of goals (24) but conceded 20 (second worst after Mumbai City FC who conceded 21). He, too, is adamant that his side will continue playing the same brand of football. “If they said we score a lot and leak a lot but still make the semis, I would take that,” he said when Firstpost asked him whether he was concentrating on defending better this season. Chennaiyin have Edel Bete and Fikru on their side now, two players who were vital in Atletico’s title-winning campaign last year. But Materazzi doesn’t think that gives them an edge over their first opponents. “Fikru knows the tournament very well and I picked him because of his experience and will to never back down. So this is an even more offensive team and he is in it for his outstanding qualities,” Materazzi said. Fikru is probably not Chennaiyin’s biggest strength. That lies in the fact that they have retained their core team from last year. Elano, Mendoza Valencia, Bernand Mendy, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Bruno Pelissari (who Materazzi thinks is their best player), Harmanjot Khabra and Balwant Singh were all regulars in the starting XI in 2014 and have been retained. “We did a great job last year as well and but this year we have had more time to organise everything. If a team manages to keep eight to twelve of their players from the previous year, that means the team worked well and we still have more time to increase their quality this year. I know the players better and the players know me better and we are a pretty good team,” Materazzi said. So we have two stubborn managers who don’t seem like they will give up their philosophies for anything. Both the teams are achievers in their own rights: one, the table toppers and the other the champions. The Indian Super League couldn’t have asked for a better opening match for what could be a defining season in the tournament’s history. The writer tweets @TheFalseNo9