Pressure is mounting on East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat after the team suffered a third straight loss in the Indian Super League (ISL) season.
East Bengal went down 2-3 to FC Goa at home on Friday which left the team second from bottom at the points table. Loud chants of ‘Go Back Carles!’ were aimed at the Spanish tactician from the stands at the Salt Lake Stadium.
This is the Red and Golds’ worst start to an ISL campaign since its inaugural season in 2020-21, where it finished ninth.
And Cuadrat will be facing the heat after becoming the first East Bengal head coach in over 100 years to lose five successive matches in the club’s history. East Bengal went down in the Durand Cup quarterfinals to I-League side Shillong Lajong before it lost the AFC Champions League Two preliminary round match.
East Bengal was the biggest spender in the transfer market by splashing Rs. 5.8 crore to acquire the services of Jeakson Singh and Anwar Ali. It also brought in prized overseas stars Dimitrios Diamantakos, Madih Talal and Hector Yuste.
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“It’s the kind of situation where nothing is going in your favour,” said Cuadrat after the match. “The three times they arrived [in the box], they scored three goals. But the guys showed fight till the end to get at least one point but unfortunately, we were not good enough.”
In the post-match press conference, the 55-year-old said “It’s difficult. We are in a moment where nothing is going our way. It happens in football. It’s difficult, especially to lose at home. So far in the ISL, we have been fighting to at least get a point from our matches but that’s not happening.”
Cuadrat joined East Bengal in 2023 and led it to the Super Cup title and a Durand Cup runner-up finish. In the league, the club came within three points of a play-off place to finish ninth.
“We have a team for the future. We have been bringing young players who have long contracts. The young players have been helping us a lot. This squad is for the future and the club have to be optimistic,” he said.
“We all feel frustrated with the situation. We understand perfectly that the fans are unhappy. But we know the supporters love the players and the colours of the club and will be supporting the club as always,” he added.
East Bengal’s next match is away to Jamshedpur FC on October 5 before it faces city rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the derby on October 19, after the international break.
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