Patience and persistence: Benali's mantra behind NEUFC’s rise

Guwahati, Sept 12: The atmosphere was full of energy and a lot of positivity in a jam packed conference hall at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, the home ground of NorthEast United FC. The Highlanders were addressing a press conference at home for the first time after winning the Durand Cup, on Thursday.

Head coach Juan Pedro Benali, although delighted to see the room filled with journalists, remained his usual composed self, calmly addressing a range of questions. When it came to discussing the team’s recent success, his message was consistent: “Sabr” — a word meaning patience, endurance, perseverance, or persistence.

“Some games will be very good, and some will be less good. What can we do? Sabr… have patience and keep working hard to raise the standard,” Benali said with a grin.

With the Durand Cup now proudly in their trophy cabinet, fans of the Guwahati-based, John Abraham-owned team are brimming with renewed hope and heightened expectations. However, Benali remains grounded, confident that with ‘Sabr,’ everything will fall into place.

When Benali took over last year, fans were discouraged after a disappointing season. Before the 2023-24 campaign began, Benali asked everyone—players and fans—to be patient and believe that success would come.

On August 31, that belief was rewarded. NorthEast United FC won their first major title at the senior level, defeating the favored Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In a thrilling comeback at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, the Highlanders overturned a two-goal deficit to win the Durand Cup.

But for Benali and his team, that victory is already in the past.

“It’s been an absolute honour to participate in and win the Durand Cup, the oldest tournament in Asia. NorthEast United and all the players are now part of its history. It’s a big push for us, but we’ve already forgotten it. The ISL is a different challenge, and we’re ready for what’s ahead,” said the 55-year-old Spaniard with Moroccan roots.

NorthEast United will kick off their ISL campaign against newcomers Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata on September 16, followed by another away fixture against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on September 23. Despite starting with two away games, Benali remains unfazed.

“We don’t think much about it. For us, it’s all the same. The 11 players and the referee — whether it’s home or away, we have to fight to win the game,” he remarked.

Reflecting on his team's mentality, Benali added, “We are a wolf pack. We just had our first bite, but we need to bite more. We can’t be small doggies — we must continue growing as wolves.”

The press conference was part of Media Day, organized by the club ahead of their season opener. Joining Benali were team captain Michel Zabaco, forward Parthib Gogoi, goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh, and club CEO Mandar Tamhane.