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JAMMU | THURSDAY | JANUARY 7, 2021 JB SPORTS JAMMU BULLETIN 9 Underachievers to contenders: La Masia’s Bengaluru FC part ways with Sergio Lobera transforms Mumbai City head coach Carles Cuadrat BENGALURU,JAN 6: MUMBAI, JAN 6: training for it and maybe you don’t Bengaluru FC head coach A swift move into the opponent’s have enough time to do it. That’s what Carles Cuadrat was on box, the attacker brought down, penal- has worked for me.” Wednesday shown the door ty. The wheels had started to turn in By 1997, he was roped in by after a string of poor shows by favour of Mumbai City FC, after an Barcelona to coach at their famed La the club in the ongoing Indian opening-round loss. Now, early in the Masia academy – what he calls the “big Super League. campaign, against East Bengal, they opportunity in (his) career.” The former champions had were poised to score their second of the He saw the early developments of seen three losses on the trot match. But among the players that had players like Gerard Pique and Lionel with the last one being against so far worked well together, the ques- Messi. And later he’d be a senior coach Mumbai City FC on Tuesday tion of who will take the spot-kick to then apprentice Pep Guardiola – who and club director Parth Jindal posed a potential rift. now heads Manchester City in the made it known that Cuadrat Hugo Boumous, a talented Premier League – and was assistant was not sticking to the “team Frenchman who was judged the best coach to the late Tito Vilanova in the philosophy” this season. player of the Indian Super League (ISL) first team in 2012. He never saw him- With three wins and equal last year, had won the penalty and was self become head coach of the Spanish numbers of draws and losses, keen on taking it. But English striker heavyweights, however. Bengaluru FC are currently Adam Le Fondre was the team’s desig- “After eight years at Barcelona (over outside the top four in the ISL table as they slipped down to nated penalty taker. An on-pitch argu- multiple stints), I decided I wanted to Naushad Moosa, who will step the club all the luck through ment was on the horizon. But a single fifth with 12 points, 10 points in as interim head coach with the season and beyond,” leave,” he says. “I wanted some new word from the sidelines by manager adrift of current top position immediate effect. Cuadrat said. experiences which I could get in new Sergio Lobera settled the debate. holder Mumbai City FC. Moosa’s first assignment Jindal said in the five years circumstances, at a new club in a differ- “Adam!” was the message that rang “After deep deliberation will be the game against SC that Cuadrat spent with the ent place. That was the way I knew I loud through the empty GMC Stadium attacking style of play that made the Mumbai City outfit the team to beat. with the management, we feel East Bengal on Saturday at club, he has gone through all could grow as a coach. I needed new in Bambolim. At once Boumous club one of the most attractive teams to Born in Zaragoza in North-eastern the club needs to head in a Margao. the ups and downs experi- challenges and maybe get out of my stepped aside and Le Fondre slotted watch. But after setting the groundwork Spain, Lobera was never away from the new direction — one where Under Cuadrat, Bengaluru enced by it. home the team’s second in a 3-0 win. for the team to become the first Indian sport, so he says. Remarkably though, comfort zone, which is where I was at the ethos and philosophy of FC became the first and only “He was around when we The single-word command is testi- club to qualify for the Asian Champions instead of striving to become a foot- Barcelona. So I had to make that deci- Bengaluru FC begin reflecting team in ISL history to top the lost the AFC Cup final and again,” Jindal said in the state- mony to Lobera’s style. League, Lobera was curiously axed. baller, he set on a path to become a sion.” table and win the title in the then the ISL final, before lead- ment. same season. The Blues, under He’s a quiet analyst, speaking only What that did do for the Spaniard coach while still a teenager. Moving away from Spain brought ing us to the ISL title on that when needed – in practice or on game though, was open the door for him to “I loved to play football. But I loved him in contact with Boumous, during “While we enjoyed success the Spaniard, also hold the with Carles in the past, we felt night in Mumbai,” said Jindal. day. But whatever he says is heard. City Football Group’s (owners of to teach as well,” he says. “I became the their time at Moroccan club Moghreb record of most consecutive there was a departure from the “Naushad Moosa has been After all, Mumbai City’s new coach has Manchester City and the Mumbai club) youngest licensed coach in Spain when Tetouan. The 25-year-old Frenchman wins (six), unbeaten streak (11 philosophy that we hold true games) and clean sheets (11). with the club for four seasons a stellar reputation that precedes him. latest acquisition. Since the first season I was 21. But I had actually started would later follow the Spaniard to FC this season, which prompted “I greatly appreciate the and we are confident he will For the past three seasons of India’s of the ISL in 2014, Mumbai have been training to become a coach when I was Goa, and now is one of the mainstays in us to arrive at this decision.” club for giving me the oppor- get the team to play the kind of marquee football league, he guided FC the Mumbai midfield. rated as perennial underachievers. But 14. The good thing for me was I had a Cuadrat, who was in his tunity to be head coach. It has football that we have based Goa to a second-place finish in the ISL “When I first met (Lobera), I noticed now, they have a 43-year-old manager lot of time to train and to become a fifth season with the club (two been a relationship where I our success on. We will be the professionalism and the interesting in 2019, and the Super Cup title later who has spent most of his life coaching. coach. When you’re a player and as an assistant to Albert Roca have been treated really well bringing someone as coach that year. He’d set his team up to dis- And midway through the season, he’s you’ve finished your career, if you want style of play he wanted, based on pos- before he took charge as head and a club that I will always who can further the philoso- play a gripping, possession-based already made the table-topping to become a coach you have to start session and attack,” Boumous says. coach), will be replaced by have fond memories of. I wish phy and style of this club.” I-League CEO says maintenance of Kyle Jamieson bowls Delhi Capitals appoint Pravin Amre as bio-secure bubble critical during new season New Zealand to 2nd Test, assistant coach for next two IPL seasons ticipating sides is vital to CEO Dhiraj Malhotra, on maintain the bio-bubble and in series win over Pakistan the latest development. order to ensure a successful “Ours is a team with an event, all parties have to come CHRISTCHURCH,JAN 6: Indian core, and that together in a team effort and Paceman Kyle Jamieson continued an extraordinary start to his thought process applies to move forward together,” he Test career, taking 6-48 as New Zealand beat Pakistan by an our coaching staff as well. added. innings and 176 runs in the second test Wednesday to claim its Few coaches know the The 11 teams have been put fourth win in four tests at home this summer. domestic cricket scene in Jamieson’s five-wicket haul was his fourth in six tests since his up in two 5-star hotels in India as thoroughly as debut against India last year and followed his 5-69 in Pakistan’s Kolkata. Punjab FC, Indian first innings, giving him match figures of 11-117 in Christchurch. Amre does.” Arrows, Chennai City FC, Pakistan was bowled out for 186 on the fourth day after starting “He has been instrumen- TRAU FC and Churchill its second innings 362-runs behind New Zealand. Its first innings tal in getting the likes of Brothers FC are in one hotel, of 297 — a solid performance after losing the toss — was eclipsed Shreyas [Iyer], Rishabh while Real Kashmir FC, by New Zealand’s 659-9 declared which was built around Kane [Pant] and Prithvi [Shaw] to KOLKATA, JAN 6: in four venues in Kolkata and Mohammedan SC, Gokulam Williamson’s 238, Henry Nicholls’ 157 and Daryl Mitchell’s our franchise, and his expe- The All India Football Kalyani. Debutants Sudeva FC Kerala FC, Aizawl FC, Sudeva unbeaten 102, his maiden century. In sweeping both of its home rience will once again be Federation (AIFF) is keeping will take on newly-promoted Delhi FC and Neroca FC are series this summer, New Zealand moved past Australia to attain extremely valuable for us.