By Jeremiah Prince

Kibu Vicuna, former coach of Mohun Bagan & Kerala Blasters, had a successful tenure in India, winning the I-League with Mohun Bagan in the 2019-’20 season. Our correspondent sat down for an interview with the former Kerala Blasters coach. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Experience till now with Lodz and what is your aim with them going forward?

RB: It’s a big challenge in front of me. Due to climatic issues we were in Turkey for two weeks for training. Now that we are back in Poland, we are doing our practice for our coming matches. We are aiming for advancing into the top tier. We have a historical team with a very good team.

What is your opinion about the Mohun Bagan team that won I-League 2019-’20 season under you?

RB: I always remember my season in Kolkata with Mohun Bagan. It was a very fantastic season with a very good squad and we all were like a family. Players and staffs had a good relationship. We were lucky to have a team like that but unfortunately we weren’t able to continue because of the things that happened after the season.

Your special moments at Mohun Bagan?

RB: I can’t say a specific moment as special because every single moment was special for us. We got enough time to settle and prepare. We played in the CFL, prestigious tournaments like the Durand Cup and the Sheikh Kamal Trophy. Our journey itself was very special, which ended on a good note by winning the I-League.

What do you think are the unique factors of Kolkata and Mohun Bagan?

RB: The people. The supporters. They are living with football and their club everyday. I remember, they used to come to watch our practice sessions with great interest and will wait until it was finished and will come near us to take pictures and get autographs.

Your Kolkata Derby experience?

RB: It’s a fantastic experience. The atmosphere in Salt Lake Stadium is very special. I was able to get good results from the Derby Games – 1 Win and 1 Draw. That feeling when we are in the Derby is something special and Derby Day is a special day for the people in Kolkata.

Were you sacked or did you resign at KBFC?

RB: I want to tell you one thing, I never leave a club alone. I followed this in my whole life. I signed for three years but I was there only for 5 months. Yeah, the results was not good. But, I was not having enough time to prepare the team properly.

What went wrong with KBFC?

RB: I wasn’t able to set with the team. We didn’t get enough time. And that season was special because of the COVID-19 Pandemic and all. We nearly had three weeks for preparations. From just three weeks, we can’t prepare a team. From there we prepared for the first match. Players like Facundo and Murray were able to play only for a few minutes in the first games because they didn’t get enough training. So, the thing is, we didn’t have time to prepare. For good results, we need to prepare well, for preparing, we need enough time. Every team requires enough time to prepare and play well, but our team didn’t have it.

What positives did you take from that season?

RB: I was able to know another part of India. Kerala Blasters is a very fantastic team with a fantastic fanbase. I was maybe their first coach who didn’t touch Kerala. We were in Goa. In Warsaw, I was able to see some fans of Kerala Blasters. They are good people. In Goa too, there were supporters of Kerala Blasters. The team has potential. Hopefully, they can win this season. This is the best season for them.

Which youngsters surprised you in Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters?

RB: We had some good youngsters in Mohun Bagan. In my first meeting with the board and club officials, I asked them to bring some junior players to test their ability. 6 players came. Subha Ghosh, Kiyan Nassiri, Sheikh Sahil and three other players. They were in whole pre-season with us. We also had Nongdamba Naorem with us. We prepared well and they debuted with us. In Kerala, we had no time. Players weren’t able to introduce themselves, although we had some good youngsters like Jeakson, Rahul, Sahal who started regularly.

Will you come back to India as a coach?

RB: I was very happy in India and I was open for a comeback. But now I have a big challenge in front of me in Poland. As I said, we had to advance to top tier. We have a historical team with a very good team. But we don’t know what will happen in future. But one day I would surely like to comeback to India.

Is Indian Football growing? Any message to Indian Football?

RB: Yes, Indian Football is growing. But there is still a lot to move ahead. One of the improvements they need is that the season should be lengthier. Indian Football and players won’t improve with just six months of football a year. The next half year, they are not playing any (professional) football. It’s very difficult for Indian Football to grow with just six months of football. If Indian Football needs to improve, increase the gametime. There are a lot of players with potential but with just 18-20 games, they can’t grow. More training and gametime should be given.

You were able to see the vibrant fans of Mohun Bagan but not in Kerala Blasters. Will you come one day to see them?

RB: Yes, I would like to come to Kerala one day. Because of Covid situations, I couldn’t go to Kerala and feel that atmosphere in Kochi in home games. I was unlucky in that aspect. But one day, I would like to go there.

Both your former teams are now performing well in ISL. What do you have to say to the Coach and players of both teams?

RB: I have nothing special to say to both of them. They are having a fantastic season and they are doing a fantastic work. They are in a very good position. I would like to congratulate both of them. I would be very happy to see both of them in the final fighting for the championship.

If you had the same I-League 2019-’20 Squad, would you have won the ISL 2020-’21 Season?

RB: I don’t know whether we would have won. But we had a competitive squad and a good, competing team. We had good Indian players like Asutosh, Suhair, who are now competing well in ISL. The youngsters like Kiyan, Subha, Naorem, Sahil, Romario had an integral role in our team. They were capable to lead the team very well, and are now are also performing well in ISL. The foreigners were also fantastic, all of them were good. We had a good relationship between the players and staffs. So, we could have competed well in ISL.

What is the difference between ISL and I-League?

RB: ISL is more professional as a competition. In terms of organisation, I-League is better. But the two years were different. In ISL, we all were locked down in our hotel for 5 months. We had no public interactions. We only had a routine of hotel to training ground and going to stadiums in Matchdays. But in I-League, we were able to go to different cities, see new places, enjoy the fans atmosphere. I enjoyed I-League very much. Now, I-League is different, with no Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. The rivalry between both the teams were great. It was the highlighting feature of I-League, which however is now not there. Both the teams are now in ISL.

If you would like to select Indians to be in your team in Europe, who will it be?

RB: Wow! A difficult one. I would like to select Manvir, he can play in different positions, as a winger or as a striker. Then Sahal, he is a versatile player who can play in multiple positions. He is a complete player in offensive and defensive positions. Kiyan, he is also a very good player with speed. He can also play in different positions. As a footballer, I like Naorem very much. He is a player who understands the game very well. Jeakson also, who mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. He is also good in attacking. There are many other players also.

What was your inspiration to become a football coach?

RB: I love football very much. It’s my passion. From my childhood, I loved football. I used to play football with my friends. One day, when I was 16, one of my teachers told me he needs a coach for a young team and he is looking for me as the coach. It was 34 years before. And it was my starting.

What makes a person excellent in football?

RB: The most important thing is, a player should understand the game very well. You can’t teach the players how to understand the game. In decision making too, we can’t go to a player and say do this, do that. They should make quick decisions.

Unlike others, I have seen you as a patient coach. What is the reason?

RB: When I was young, I was very reactive. With years of experience, I understood, I should control my emotions. Also I understood the main characters of football are players. My job is to train them, coach them how to play in field and the tactics and all. Therefore, I should control my emotions. Years of experience has made me patient.

With that, the interview ends. It was great team talking with the Spanish Tactician.

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