East Bengal thrashed arch-rivals Mohun Bagan to win the Durand Cup title with a scintillating performance on Sunday (August 23).

The Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata witnessed a special performance as the Torch Bearers came away 4-1 winners over their bitter rivals, thus painting the city Red and Gold.

Antonio Lopez Habas, once the head coach of Mohun Bagan, had his first trophy as East Bengal’s head coach, capping off a fantastic start to his stint at the club.

And after the victory, Habas congratulated his players and admitted the preparation was long for this moment. He also credited the ruthlessness in front of goal, which was lacking in his team.

“We believed. For us, it was a dream match, and we had been planning for it for one month. Normally, we need five or six chances to score a goal, but today we had two chances and scored two goals. Congratulations to the players. There are no excuses. The victory was more important. The opponent was very good, but our victory was more important,” he said.

The Spaniard won his first Durand Cup title and was ecstatic about it, and his happiness compounded as it was a final as well. And the Spaniard reckoned the Derby at the top of all his wins as it was the final.

“It was a fantastic final. I never had any doubts….Never. I had never won the Durand Cup before. Now I have won it. This is something I have worked for. You have to believe in the team, but you also need good players. Without them, this victory would not have been possible. For me, this is at the top because it was a final. I have played other derbies, but they were not finals. This one was different,” Habas concluded.

The Red and Gold Brigade will shift their focus to the AFC Champions League 2 now, while the Indian Super League season also starts in a few weeks. The Torch Bearers will start their ISL campaign as defending champions, while the continental challenge will also test their mettle along the course of the season.