“I don’t care whoever has said what about me..”, Panos shuts all critics after winning maiden title in Mohun Bagan SG tenure

Kolkata : Mohun Bagan SG became the champion by defeating East Bengal 0-1 in the final of the IFA Shield 2026, winning their 22nd title. Mohun Bagan coach Panagiotis Dilemperis clarified his statement about the team’s performance, criticism, injuries, refereeing and future plans in a press conference after winning the Shield.

The Mohun Bagan coach is giving the most importance to the team’s performance. Panos said, “The most important thing is performance. I was not satisfied with the way the team played in the previous match against Punjab. But today we played a very good match. In defense, they were able to create only one good chance from the header. On the other hand, in attack, we created many chances and situations, we could have scored more goals. Except for the last few minutes, our possession of the ball was good throughout the match.”

After falling behind, East Bengal put some pressure on Bagan towards the end but couldn’t succeed. Panos however didn’t seem to be worried. In his words, “It is normal for the team to put some pressure on the team towards the end after falling behind. I am very happy with the team’s performance from start to finish. This win gives me confidence for the future.”

The ISL starts on the 10th of this month. This win will provide oxygen to Mohun Bagan before the mega tournament. Before winning IFA Shield, Bagan also clinched Calcutta Football League 2026 title, and this momentum will help them a lot.

He also mentioned the historical importance of the IFA Shield for Kolkata and Mohun Bagan. His message to the fans, “I know the importance of this Shield for Kolkata and this club. It is a historical Shield. So I hope the fans will have more faith in us. We will also have more faith in ourselves. Because it has just begun and the expectations are very high.”

Panos is not at all concerned about the criticism that has been leveled at him in the last few days. He said, “I don’t care whoever has said what about me in the last few days. I know that the kind of football I want to play is the kind of football that is played all over Europe. That’s why I came here. I’m working hard. If I succeed, it’s good, and if the results are bad, the future will tell whether I will stay at this historic club or not. So I don’t care what anyone outside says.”

He also admitted the team’s tactical mistakes at the start of the match. The Bagan coach said, “We didn’t start the match well. Tactically, there was a mistake in our plan. But after the seventh minute, we corrected it and from then on, we took control of the match.”

Mohun Bagan coach does not see this victory against East Bengal as revenge in any way. In his words, “I do not see this victory as revenge in any way. I do not have a revenge mentality against any team in the world. They won the Durand final. Before that, we won. Today we won the Shield again. Today we played well and that is the most important thing. This victory has increased our confidence and I am happy to see the performance of the players.”

Panos also explained his position on the criticism of the previous match. He said, “Nobody said that we were working with 11 players in different positions. Suddenly one had to play full-back, and another one played from central midfielder to full-back. It is difficult to respond to criticism without understanding this situation.”

However, he also admitted that the team needs to work on its tendency to waste chances. The Bagan coach said, “We wasted a lot of chances. We need to work on that. We need to improve on our goal scoring skills before the ISL. But today’s win is a relief because we played good football. It’s not a personal relief. It may be a derby for you, but as a coach I was not satisfied with the performance in the previous match. So I am happy that the team played well today.”

He also expressed his anger over the refereeing like earlier match against Punjab. He said, “This is football, not war. I feel that Jeakson should have received two yellow cards and in that case he should have gone off the field. The referees should respect one of the most historic clubs in the country,” he said.

The coach is also happy with Samir Zeljkovic performance, who scored the lone goal for Bagan in 45th minute. He explained, “Samir did exactly what we wanted from him tactically today. We wanted the number eight to be in a certain position and to get into the box when he got the chance. In the Durand Cup final, they both took positions at the wrong time, which led to the opponent repeatedly having opportunities to counter-attack. The opponent has a certain style of play. So it was important not to give them the opportunity to counter-attack. Samir was in the right place today and scored when he got the chance.”

Finally, Panos gave a message to the fans to stand by him. His appeal was, “I would like to tell the fans, have faith in us. Have faith in the players, have faith in this project. We are now trying to prepare for the next match against NorthEast United.”

On the night of winning the historic IFA Shield, Mohun Bagan not only won the trophy but also gained confidence ahead of mega event of ISL 2026-27 where they’ll face NorthEast United FC at Guwahati on October 12.