Sandip Nandy resigns from East Bengal’s goalkeeping coach; alleges of the coach’s misbehavior!
East Bengal’s veteran goalkeeper coach Sandip Nandy resigned from the club’s senior team’s goalkeeper coach position on Monday. The former India international and ASEAN Cup-winning goalkeeper has alleged that the team’s chief coach, Oscar Bruzon, has misbehaved over the last two days after the Red-and-Gold brigade’s loss to Mohun Bagan Super Giants in the IFA Shield final on a tie-breaker. It was believed that following advice from Nandy, Bruzon replaced Prabhsukhan Gill by Debjit Majumder for the penalty shoot-out. It was also learnt that after the loss, Oscar started shouting at the goalkeeper in the dressing room in front of other team members. Even he reportedly screamed at Nandy, asking him whose provocation guided Nandy to advise Bruzon to replace Gill with Majumder before the penalty shoot-out? While reacting to the issue on Monday from Goa, Nandy said, “How could he insult me shouting and pressing me with the question whose instigation forced me to advice him to replace Gill by Majumder? Even after saying sorry to him, he did not care, mocking me that I am not capable of the goalkeeping coach’s job.” Sandip Nandy was not Oscar Bruzon and Thangboi Shingto’s choice for the post of goalkeeping coach. Still, Sandip joined thanks to East Bengal club’s pressure. Since the beginning of his training, Nandy was being accused of several complaints by the chief coach and club’s Football Director. Nandy also said, “I have never seen such a bad coach as Oscar. He has created discrimination in the dressing room. You will see its reflection soon.” Sandip is on the way to return to Kolkata after resigning.
East Bengal Reach Final With Convincing Victory Over Namdhari
Pratyusha Jana East Bengal sealed their position in the IFA Shield Finals! They thrashed Namdhari Sports Academy with a 2-0, while it might have been a wider margin. While East Bengal went all attack from the opening minute of the match. However, Namdhari has played quite an attacking role. After today’s match many of the East Bengal players seemed to get injured. Talking about Oscar Bruzon, he stated, “Namdhari has played a rough game; they have tried to intimidate us, but I told my players about the emotional control.” He added, “They have control over the match, and they have played very well.” For the red and gold brigade, Mohammed Bassim Ahmed Rashid and Vishnu PV found the back of the net. Rashid opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a brilliant right-footed strike, followed by Vishnu’s precise low shot in the 42nd minute, giving East Bengal a comfortable 2-0 lead by halftime. In the press conference, while talking about the game, Harpreet Singh, the Namdhari Sports Academy’s coach, stated, “We tried our best; a few players are injured now. It was a tough match today.” It is widely anticipated that the IFA Shield final will be a classic Derby clash between Mohun Bagan Super Giants and East Bengal FC. Speaking on the upcoming encounter, Singh remarked, “Both teams are strong and have excellent players, but I feel Mohun Bagan may have an advantage. East Bengal have made several changes to their squad, so it will take time for the players to gel, whereas Mohun Bagan’s team remains more settled.” Coach Óscar Bruzón appeared dissatisfied with the IFA’s management, expressing his concerns after the match. He stated, “We are one of the top teams in India and have participated in the IFA Shield numerous times. Yet, our first match was scheduled at Kalyani Stadium, where the field conditions were far from ideal.” “The pitch was uneven, there was no proper irrigation system, and it posed a real risk for the players. We feel mistreated and cannot understand why our opening match had to be held there.” In the second half, East Bengal tried to extend their advantage, but no further goals were scored. The IFA Shield final is scheduled for Saturday, as the club aims for its 30th title. With this win, East Bengal has now reached the final for the 41st time in the tournament’s storied history. It is evident that the IFA Shield final is shaping up to be a thrilling Derby clash. Speaking about the speculation regarding Namdhari’s comments in favour of Mohun Bagan, Coach Óscar Bruzón responded firmly: “How can anyone decide the outcome beforehand? Namdhari lost to us, and Mohun Bagan is yet to qualify for the final. How can anyone predict what will happen?!” He added, “I have full faith in our players, and I am confident they can face any challenge that comes their way.”
Oscar wants exhibition of ‘dominant brand’ of football this season; Engrossa promises to bounce back
Pratyusha Jana: Wednesday’s win at Kalyani was special for Oscar Bruzon as he celebrated his anniversary in the team with an IFA Shield win. While addressing the media about fielding a full-strength squad against a comparatively weaker opponent, the East Bengal FC head coach remarked, “The IFA Shield is no easy tournament. We are also preparing for the upcoming Super Cup, so these matches serve as ideal preparation opportunities for everyone. That’s why we’re giving the entire squad a chance to play.” Reflecting on the previous season, he added, “Last year, we couldn’t dominate games — we were more of a reactive side. This year, my objective is to control every match and play a more dominant brand of football.” On the other side, the coach of Sreenidi Deccan FC Alvaro Engrossa Mota seemed to accept the difference and took a much more optimistic view towards his team. During the post-match conference, the head coach took an optimistic view, stating, “There is no doubt that the team will bounce back in the future. The upcoming matches might be in our favour.” While talking about their horrendous defeat, Mota stated, “It’s a clear difference between the two experienced teams. They are very experienced players, they have played various big tournaments while we are rookie. Our team consists of players in the 18-year-old quota, whereas our opponents are in the 22-year-old quota. So they are much more experienced.” However, Mota turned into a much affirmative side, stating, “These are the competitions that we seek to make the team stronger. We are practicing hard, and I believe the future match results will be on our side.”
