NEUFC coach Juan Bernali: Proud to say we’re playing in Shillong

The season before Juan Pedro Benali took the reins of NorthEast United FC (NEUFC), the club recorded the worst showing by any side in Indian Super League (ISL) history, after finishing at the bottom of the points table with just five points from 20 games.

Two years down the line, the team is competing for a spot in the playoffs, while also having a Durand Cup trophy in its cabinet.

After narrowly missing out on the playoff spot last season, Juan has managed to up the ante this season and assemble a team that goes out on the pitch all guns blazing. Under his orchestration, the Highlanders have already crossed their tally for most goals in a single season and also recorded their biggest win (5-0 against Jamshedpur FC).

With more than 25 years of managerial experience under his belt, this season, Benali has managed to identify and nurture Indian talents like Parthib Gogoi and Jithin M.S. while also bringing in impressive foreign signings like Alaaeddine Ajaraie and Guillermo Fernandez.

Ahead of NEUFC’s match against Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong – a first in ISL history – the Spaniard spoke to Sportstar about his time in India and his thoughts on the Indian football scene.

Excerpts:

Q. You have fond memories from the Durand Cup campaign on this ground. How does it feel to be back in Shillong?

A. It’s great. Shillong is part of a beautiful area, a beautiful place, a beautiful city. The field, the stadium is incredible and when it’s full, I’m proud to say we [are] play[ing] here. It’s an honour for us, an honour for ISL to have a full house and beautiful ground and we hope that the fans will see good football.

John Abraham (L), wwner of the NorthEast United FC, celebrates with coach Juan Pedro Benali after their team won the Durand Cup 2024.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

Q. You joined the club in 2023 and you’ve managed clubs around the world. You’ve been part of the teams around the world. How was that transition coming into Indian football?

A. It was, I won’t say very easy, but the Indian players, the Indian staff, the Indian members of the club, they’re making it very smooth for us.

It was great, very hospitable people. They make us feel at home, feel like family and now we feel we’re Indian.

Q. What about the style of play in India? For a viewer, do you think there is a stark difference between the quality, maybe, from other leagues around the world, or even in Asia? Even when teams from ISL go to compete in the AFC Champions League, you can see the level of difference. How are you trying to bridge that gap?

Well, I think it’s a process, a matter of time. Decision-making involves allowing the players to make mistakes and then correcting them, not just directing them. It’s not PlayStation.

The problem is when the player is taken out of his comfort zone from the ISL or I-League games, he starts to get nervous, and the decisions are not very, very good. This is the difficulty — they need to understand that they’re not worse than the others, and the others are not better than them. Just be yourself and play.

Q. Could you say a few words about Alaaeddine Ajaraie as he’s been one of the finds of this ISL season? How does it feel to have such a goal-hungry player in your team?

Alaaeddine is a great player, a fantastic player. But, it is not only him, all my players are hungry. The player who assists him, the player who defends to win the ball to give to him, the player who runs so that Alaaeddine free to score. He is fantastic, but I have 26 great players.

Alaaeddine Ajaraie in action against Bengaluru FC.
| Photo Credit:
Focus Sports

Q. What about the youngsters in the team? We have seen Jithin M.S. and Parthib Gogoi performing well this season. Do they speak to you about what their goals are?

You know, I’ve been a football player and they are football players.

Their goal is to be the best. Their goal is to be not only a national team player. It’s to be proud, to make their families proud, to make their friends proud, to make their fans proud and to be proud of themselves.

We have a mixture of veterans and young players. The veterans are helping a lot. This is why the youngsters are coming.

It’s not Juan Pedro Benali. It’s the team. It’s the other players who are making those players very good.

Q. Last year, it was a bit tough for the national team because they couldn’t register a win. What do you think in general of the Indian football team and what lies for the future?

Let’s think of it as a construction of a national team. Don’t forget that India was a champion in 1962 (Asian Games gold). That means we just need to have confidence, to believe in ourselves and to say, hey, we can do it.

The problem is that there is too much pressure on all the players, on the coaches, on the national team. We need a result now. And the player, when he thinks that, ‘I will need a result, I need a result’, the result will not come.

Because he’s not as comfortable in his team. If the day comes when he feels he’s comfortable, and has no pressure, then really he will give everything for the flag.