"There are 23 teams with one rule and one team with a different rule" - East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat fires shot at Mohun Bagan SG 

Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured a remarkable 1-0 victory against arch-rivals East Bengal FC to win their historic 17th Durand Cup trophy.

The first half of the game was evenly matched, but the turning point arrived around the hour mark when Anirudh Thapa was shown a red card (second yellow) for a cynical challenge.

While the balance seemed to tilt in East Bengal's favor, Mohun Bagan defended deep and capitalized on opportunities to counterattack. Ultimately, Dimitri Petratos scored a stunning goal that proved to be the decisive factor.

East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat would have been disappointed with the performance, especially with the opportunity presented.

Speaking to the media following the defeat, Cuadrat suggested that the red card favored Mohun Bagan as they shifted their focus towards defense and effectively limited East Bengal's attacking opportunities.

“The turning point was the red card. It’s easy to defend when you’re 10 men against 11. You just defend with people in the box and try and go for counter-attacks. They have several good players and just one moment cost us the game. But I’m very proud of my players. We managed the game well when we were 11 against 11, and created chances," he said.

“But when you have 10 players, you tend to defend, so there are fewer spaces and they took advantage with a goal. I think we should have managed better in that moment of the game. But my players were tired and sometimes when you’re tired you don’t make the right decisions. It was too emotional, and we should be a little bit more calmer. But it’s football, it's a learning process and we will learn from that," the Spaniard added.

Mohun Bagan’s squad depth is arguably the best in the ISL as evidenced by Juan Ferrando's substitutions that included Australian international Jason Cummings, along with Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh.

When questioned about potential squad depth issues, Cuadrat pointed out that the Mariners had registered 34 players, a notable contrast to other teams, who have utilized only 30.

"They have a lot of good players. But 24 teams are participating, 23 have been playing with 30 players, while Mohun Bagan have been using 34 players. There are 23 teams with one rule and one team with a different rule. I would have loved to play against the Bangladesh Army with the reserve team, but we have to use only 30 players. Mohun Bagan can use 34," Cuadrat stated.

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez raised a similar concern following his team's semi-final loss to Mohun Bagan, emphasizing the need for organizational improvements in the Durand Cup.

---

"It’s very important to arrive at the finals because it’s a learning process" – East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat

East Bengal FC had a forgettable final, yet they displayed a strong brand of football throughout the 2023 Durand Cup. Given that Carles Cuadrat has been in charge for just over a month, their progress compared to the previous season is substantial.

The Torchbearers have now established a clear identity that can serve as a foundation as they move forward into the ISL. Furthermore, they have shown resilience by staging comebacks on multiple occasions.

When asked about the positives, Cuadrat expressed his pride in the squad but acknowledged that achieving consistent success with this project will require time.

"There were a lot of positives. The first positive is that we get a medal for the club after a long time. I know it’s very difficult for the supporters because we lost against our rivals. But we have to understand that every project takes time. Mohun Bagan also took time with the project, they brought young players and won the title only a few years later," he explained.

"It’s very important to arrive at the finals because it’s a learning process. Mohun Bagan lost the ISL final in 2020 and it helped them become competitive in the following seasons. For us, we have to be very proud. Every one of these medals is important because there is a lot of work behind this. I hope this is the start of a new era for East Bengal. The players had a fantastic tournament," Cuadrat added.

While losing to their rivals may have left the supporters disappointed, East Bengal are certainly heading in the right direction under Cuadrat. They will hope to continue this strong momentum to the Indian Super League, which will begin on September 21.