MARGAO: Deep down his heart, Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Lopez Habas was a happy man even though his team settled for a 1-1 draw against FC Goa.
“It was a difficult game. We did not lose against FC Goa and it is a fantastic statistic,” said a relieved Habas.
The Spanish coach blamed the officials for poor refereeing.
“I think FC Goa played very well. We didn’t have the best day. We were down by a man and they took the advantage. I cannot do anything about the refereeing,” Habas stated.
“It was catastrophic officiating. I don’t want to come to India for that. I believe in fair play and this is not fair play. There were fouls, cards and I had no control,” Habas added.
Atletico de Kolkata take on Kerala Blasters FC in the first home fixture of the season on October 13.
The Saurav Ganguly co-owned team did a commendable job after picking up four points from their two away fixtures.
“We have four points after two away fixtures which is good although we wanted six points.”
However, Habas will have a lot of positives to carry on in the next match.
“We had a possibility to put more pressure and we always wanted to win. The boys played excellent football with good attitude, tactical discipline and commitment.”
Overall, it was a morale boost for Habas for their quest to defend the title.
