"I am not interested in one point"- East Bengal FC's head coach on his aspirations for the Kolkata derby | ISL 2022-23

ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal FC will square off for the very first Kolkata derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season. The two giants will face off at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday, October 29.

East Bengal FC head coach Stephen Constantine addressed reporters at the pre-match press conference, answering questions about his team's preparations. Constantine outlined his ambitions going into one of the biggest matches of the season.

He said:

"I am not interested in one point. I want all three. I am pretty sure they do as well. You don't go into a derby game and not try to win it. I think it's important to highlight that."

The gaffer underlined his expectations from the game against the Green and Maroon Brigade. He expects both sides to go into the contest with a willingness to win. On this note, he said:

"For me, all the games are important. The Kolkata Derby is obviously the biggest game in the Indian football calendar and it's a special game. We are very excited at the prospect of facing ATK Mohun Bagan. They are a good side. We expect a tough game and we will try to take all the points. We are here to win football games."

East Bengal FC head coach eager to make amends for his defeat in the Kolkata Derby

When East Bengal FC last took the field against ATK Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup, Constantine's side were ousted by their rivals courtesy of an own goal. His side did put in a fight and looked better in some parts of the game but were unable to impact the encounter in any manner beneficial to them.

Since then, the Red and Gold Brigade have made significant improvements to their approach and are eager to showcase that. Here's what the East Bengal FC head coach said:

"I think we have made tremendous improvements since we started off with 12 players in Maidan on a rainy morning. I think we are a better team than when we played Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup.

"Of course, it's a league match. There is an added importance to that. We need the 3 points. We have not won a derby for some time now. We are going to try and fix that tomorrow."

Constantine added that it does not matter where or when the derby is being played. It is rather important that the two sides are ready to put on a show when the meeting happens and that his side are able to get all three points.