Kolkata: The runners-up of the Indian Super League 2020-21, ATK Mohun Bagan had one of the best if not the best squad of the tournament. Antonio Lopez Habas had further strengthened the squad ahead of the eighth edition of the tournament. Let’s take a look at the foreign players preparing to grace the field for the Mariners.
1. Tiri- Seven caps shy of his hundred, Tiri is one of the most experienced defenders of the lot. From winning the title with ATK to captaining Jamshedpur FC for three years before joining ATKMB, Tiri has been a clinical part of the club’s quest for the trophy. The effect of Tiri’s absence from the team was evident, in the AFC Cup. The Spaniard forms the heart of the ATKMB defense along with Pritam Kotal and Subhashish Bose.
2. Roy Krishna- Roy Krishna has been the most important man for ATKMB’s success in the ISL and well as in the AFC Cup. The ISL Player of the year last season had narrowly missed out on the Golden Boots although scoring 29 goals in the last two seasons for the Mariners. An absolute goal machine Roy Krishna would be an exciting thing to watch when combined with Indian fame Manvir Singh and youngster Liston Colaco.
3. David Williams- A creative, mastermind the Australian midfielder is a pivotal piece of ATK Mohun Bagan’s setups. Williams was retained in the merger after playing an efficient role in ATK’s Victory in the 2019-20 season. He had scored six goals and has two assists to his name being the perfect partner for Roy Krishna.
4. Carl McHugh- The Irish holding midfielder is one of the most versatile players in the squad whose defensive abilities are off the charts even as a center back. Mc Hugh was one of the main rock pillars behind ATKMB’s smooth sailing in the ISL as well as in the AFC Championships. It will be really beautiful to watch Mc Hugh combining with the likes of Tiri, Pritam, and Subhashish Bose along with Kauko.
5. Joni Kauko- The announcement of a UEFA Euro 2021 defender had created a huge uproar among the Indian football fans and Joni Kauko is deserving of all the hype. Although the Finnish defender had a debut to forget, getting routed by FC Nasaf in the AFC Inter-zonal semifinals, Kauko as well as the fans would look forward to bouncing back as the season commence.
6. Hugo Boumous- The former FC Goa and Mumbai City FC star joined the Mariners for a record transfer fee. He is very expected to create records with games as well. Boumous will be pairing up with the likes of Roy Krishna, Manvir Singh, and Liston Colaco in creating problems for the opponents.
However, there has been some speculations of Boumous removing all the pictures of him in the Mariners gear and unfollowing the club on a social media handle suggesting some adverse condition, but the most common answer stated that the forward had his mobile phone stolen and will be joining the Mariners soon in the practice.
On paper, ATKMB has a strong well-distributed squad, and will be a tough job for the opponents to get past the team, if the players play to their whole potential.
