Pritam Kotal - ATK and Mohun Bagan are big brands in Indian football

India international defender Pritam Kotal’s first major club in the top tier of Indian football was Mohun Bagan. The Bengali defender won the I-League and the Federation Cup title donning the Green and Maroon jersey in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons respectively and is currently plying his trade at Indian Super League (ISL) club ATK. 

Earlier this year, Mohun Bagan entered into a merger with the ISL defending champions ATK and formed a new entity which will play in the ISL and the AFC Cup next season. A company has already been registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) as ATK Mohun Bagan Pvt Ltd. The former Bagan defender is hopeful that the merger will be a great success.

“Obviously it is great for Kolkata football. Mohun Bagan have a very passionate fan base. Both ATK and Mohun Bagan are big brands in Indian football and the merger will be really helpful in the future. We have AFC Cup this time and we will try to win that. I hope to get the support of all the fans,” said Kotal during a live Instagram session with the ISL. 

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After bagging two titles in the first three years of ISL, ATK went through a rough patch. However, they came back strong last season under the tutelage of Spanish coach Antonio Lopez Habas and clinched a record third championship.

Pritam Kotal, who was an important member of ATK’s winning squad, spoke about his experience of working under coach Habas. He said, “When I met him the first time he told me that he wanted to retain me at Pune (City) in 2016 but I had (already) moved to ATK. He directly asked me if I could play as a centre-back and I said yes.

“The best thing about Habas is the intensity in his training sessions. He also sees everyone equally whether you are Roy Krishna or Komal Thatal. We had an amazing dressing room. I really liked working under him. His only aim is to win even if it is a practice match. I personally like his tactics and game plan.”