"Mohun Bagan Super Giant played a good game" - Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera after the semifinal loss

Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera congratulated Mohun Bagan Super Giant and admitted that the Mariners played a good game against his side in the ISL semifinal second leg at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday, April 28.

Despite winning the first leg in Bhubaneswar by a 2-1 margin, the Kalinga Warriors failed to capitalize on the one-goal advantage and were knocked out of the ISL after losing the second leg 2-0 (3-2 aggregate).

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Lobera praised the Odisha FC players for doing 'an amazing job' in a high-octane game like the semifinal. Lobera also asserted that his team did not feel any pressure while playing in front of a packed Salt Lake Stadium where the vociferous supporters were rooting for Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Reflecting on Odisha FC's loss in the second leg he said:

"This is the kind of game you want to play as a coach and as a player because it's amazing to have this atmosphere. I don't think my team felt any pressure playing in this atmosphere. They did an amazing job. We need to congratulate Mohun Bagan Super Giant because they played a good game. The first half was for them. The second half was for us. We had our chance to score the goal. But we conceded the goal in the last moment."

"It was an amazing season" - Sergio Lobera

Lobera has been highly successful in Indian football so far, having won the ISL Shield, ISL Cup trophy, and the Indian Super Cup titles over the years. In his first season with Odisha FC, the Spaniard did a fantastic job leading the club to a runner-up finish at the 2024 Indian Super Cup.

The Juggernauts also emerged as the winners of Group D in the 2023-24 AFC Cup before losing to the Australian side Central Coast Mariners in the Inter-zone play-off semifinals. Adding on to this, the fourth-place finish in this edition of ISL proved their consistency across all competitions.

Looking back at the season, an elated Lobera thanked the entire Odisha FC team for their efforts throughout and said:

"I think only I can tell my players, 'Thank you so much, and congratulations for the season. They did an amazing job. It was an amazing season.' When I signed up for this club, I knew it was going to be the biggest challenge in my career. Finishing top of the table in the AFC Cup and reaching the final in the Kalinga Super Cup."

"As a coach, only I can be proud of my players. I want to congratulate them in front of all the people. And the people who are behind us need to be proud of the entire team's fight, belief, and teamwork throughout the entire season," he added.