Antonio López Habas
Interview ~ Atletico Madrid.com 14/10/10
Antonio López Habas reflected on a successful march to the Hero Indian Super League final:
Habas: It has been a challenge to fuse together all the different mentalities, the cultures and mind-sets. We have managed to play a very good brand of football. I am happy with the progress that we have made. I want the team to produce their best game in the final. We have had to grind away at times, we have played exceptional football on several occasions, and there have been moments when we have gritted our teeth and carried on. I think we deserve to be in the final because that was what we wanted from day one.
Asked whether he had observed any progress in his batch of Indian players, Habas was quick to quip:
Habas: The Indian boys have had to adapt to us and our different training methodologies and processes. I must say that they have done very well. We wanted them to play at a certain level and I am happy to say that they have produced that
When asked if the ISL made him a better manager:
Habas: It has been a wonderful experience coaching Kolkata. I must admit that it has been a tough job as well. I have coached many teams around the world, but this has been very unique. It has taught me a lot and I hope that I can take back all the positives from this stint