ISL 2024-25: Mohun Bagan holds the fort in record-breaking title defence
ISL 2024-25: Mohun Bagan holds the fort in record-breaking title defence
With a legacy spanning over 150 years in the country, Indian football has seen many historic clubs rise to the top. This season, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the 136-year-old powerhouse, etched its name in history once again by securing the Indian Super League’s League Shield for the second consecutive time, a testament to its consistency and dominance.
The immensity of this feat could be gauged from the wild celebrations of the otherwise reserved and undemonstrative head coach of the Mariners, Jose Molina.
The moment the referee blew the final whistle, signalling Mohun Bagan’s solitary goal win over a visiting Odisha FC, the Spanish gaffer ran onto the pitch and started pumping his fists in a display of unbounded jubilation.
It was very much in line with the scenes that unfolded in the stands of the Salt Lake Stadium, where some 60,000 home fans went into raptures after seeing their team accomplish 52 points in 22 matches to reach a stage of invincibility with two matches to spare (second-placed FC Goa, which has 42 from 21, could reach a maximum of 51 if it wins its remaining three matches). What made Mohun Bagan’s achievement even bigger was the fact that it had the highest accumulation of points in the history of the ISL for a league with 13 teams.
The title marked the fruition of intelligent planning and effective implementation. This was evident in the team’s authoritative performance as Mohun Bagan accomplished 16 wins, four draws, and suffered just two losses in its successful pursuit of the title.
The team broke many records, including securing six successive clean sheets among a total of 14. Another factor aiding its success was creating the ideal balance of attack and defence, reflected in the fact that Mohun Bagan scored the highest number of goals (43) and conceded the fewest (14) on its way to the title.
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And in the title count, the Mariners also established themselves as one of the best performers in the ISL by winning a trophy in three successive seasons. Mohun Bagan won the ISL Cup in the 2022-23 season before picking up the League Shield in the next two, reaching a level of unmatched consistency. Mumbai City FC has won the League Shield and the Cup on two occasions each, placing it one up in terms of the total number of trophies, but Mohun Bagan outscores it in terms of consistency.
“To win a trophy, you need to be a team. And it is not about having 11 players but a group of players. A title is realised when everybody is working in the same direction. The support of the owner and management is really important. So is the contribution of the coaching staff, the supporting staff and, of course, the quality and hard work of the players,” Molina said when he was asked about the recipe for success.
Molina arrived with great credentials, having served as the sporting director of the Spanish football federation, and he proved his worth by shepherding Mohun Bagan to the title.
“Every title, for us as a player and as a coach, is special. You start with dreams at the beginning of the season, and it feels really good when your plans and hard work bring results at the end of the season. Our goal is to make the fans happy, and today they are the happiest fans in the world. I am happy for all the support they have given us through the league,” Molina added.
This reaffirmed Molina’s special bond with Kolkata, as he had helped ATK (the previous name of the Super Giant franchise before it merged with Mohun Bagan in 2020) win the ISL Cup in 2016. “Winning a title gives me a sense of fulfilment. So, both titles are important in my career,” Molina said while setting his sights on the next target — winning the 2025 ISL Cup.
Published on Feb 25, 2025
