#TFGInterview - Sanjoy Sen and the wind of change that the Mariners caught on their sail

"THE COACH DOESN'T change the club. The club changes coaches."

In this old Maidan proverb lies encapsulated one of the most controversial "traditions" the Kolkata clubs have been holding fast to for decades; a major roadblock they face in terms of catching up with modern day professional football clubs. 

Clubs in Kolkata, whether it's the big ones like East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting, or the local league regulars like Peerless, Southern Samity, Bhawanipore or Tollygunge Agragami... they all have a way of functioning that puts the club officials at the forefront of making, managing and operating their first teams. The officials choose most of the players to sign, and the head coach is tasked with delivering instant results. A little slip here or there, and the coach gets the sack. 

That's why an era-defining tenure like a Ferguson or a Wenger is unthinkable in Kolkata; or even a long term nurturing spell like Khalid Jamil at Mumbai FC. Legendary coaches like Subrata Bhattacharya, PK Banerjee and Subhash Bhowmick have all faced the quiet humiliation of the unceremonious sack when they failed to deliver instant results that satisfied the officials' lofty ambitions. 

Which is why few coaches have been able to bring in positive transformation to their clubs. And the clubs did not ride the fast wave of transformation that manager-driven clubs throughout the world have depended on to evolve with times. 

When Sanjoy Sen took over at Mohun Bagan, even the staunchest of supporters did not expect his story to be very different from the last dozen coaches that the club had had. He took up the job when the century old institution was going through its weakest phase. 

The club had not won the I-League since 2012. It had not won any meaningful trophy for the last 5 years. The Mariners faced a particularly bad campaign in the Calcutta Football League under legendary coach Subhash Bhowmick. Going into the 2014-15 season of I-League, the Mariners were written off from the start; defending champions Bengaluru FC being the overwhelming favourites.

To some, Sanjoy Sen's appointment seemed like a conservative approach to the season. He was well known, with prior I-League coaching experience at United SC, who made headlines when he won the 2nd Division League with Mohammedan Sporting. But while that wasn't exactly seen as proof of brilliance per se, it added to his resume a vital component that would be revealed to its fullest extent only later on: trophy luck.

Looking back at that season, Sanjoy Sen remembers a hasty campaign at a club that was starved for success. Going through a major financial strife, the former stalwards were playing not just for glory and a passage to the top division but also survival. Speaking exclusively to TFG, Sen described his experience this way,

"I didn't really have much time in my hand. I got the responsibility rather suddenly, got 4 days' time to conduct practices in Kolkata, then went to Indore to play the Group Stage, then went off to Bangalore for the final round. We had to play a total of 18 matches, we lost just 2 matches and managed to secure the title. We didn't really have any star names in the team; we had Alfred who is now playing for Aizawl, had Charles who was a stopper, other than them Kingshuk Debnath and Jayanta Sen were the only established players. We had a team full of unknown players, and I took that on as a challeng. I was tough, we didn't have much time, but we found success through united efforts." 

But what really helped Sen fly into the radar of the Mohun Bagan officials is the famous IFA Shield tournament of 2014. Now reduced to an U-19 competition to make room for ISL in the calendar, the historic Shield saw a wildly popular edition that year with 5 Indian clubs pitted against 3 foreign teams. Among the overseas entrants were the well respected Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi, who had a fearsome attack led by two Haitian players called Sony Norde and Wedson Anselme. 

Dhanmondi stormed into the final of the Shield beating both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in their wake. In the final they faced Mohammedan Sporting, the only club that had beaten them in the group stage. In a memorable finale witnessed by 60 thousand people at the Salt Lake Stadium, the battle went into penalty shootouts where the Black and Whites came out victors by a 4-3 margin. Apart from being Mohammedan's first Shield title in more than four decades, that tournament was a significant turning point for both Sanjoy Sen and Sony Norde. By the time the next I-League season came around, both had been recruited by Mohun Bagan.

Looking back, Sen did not deny the immense significance of that campaign, but spoke of it with his usual professional nonchalance,

"I didn't have a magic wand or anything, before IFA Shield we played Federation Cup and then won the IFA Shield after beating Dhanmondi twice; in the group stage and then at the final. And for me that's a... every job is challenging, and success depends on a lot of factors. Maybe we managed to do it very quickly; that too was a team effort in every way, the team officials supported us a lot. So for me it's very satisfying that I could bring success to a club; be it United Sports Club or Mohammedan or Mohun Bagan... afterwards Mohun Bagan appointed me; that was a bit sudden for me too, because when I took charge on 15th December 2014, we had just 12 days to prepare for the Federation Cup started. So that was a challenging job too. I was aware of that when I came on."

But one of the biggest challenges that Sanjoy Sen faced was hidden from most of the fans. Mohun Bagan's principal sponsor MacDowell's had just become a subject of corporate dispute after the Vijay Mallya empire disintegrated. The sponsorship money had suddenly dried up and the Mariners were facing a hard time paying the players on time. The club's internal crisis was eating into the first team and causing a lot of grievance among players over due payments. Sen, being the head coach, now had the responsibility of getting the best out of a bunch of dissatisfied players. Incidentally, the situation wasn't new to him; having previously managed similarly cash-strapped clubs like United Sports Club and Mohammedan. So for match after match, it was Sanjoy Sen putting himself on the line for the club management, assuring players that their dues would be paid and pushing them to forget about those worries and do their best,

"I understood the issues officials were facing, since we didn't have any sponsors and they are running things by themselves, and considering all that the officials gave us their full support. It may have been a tough time, but they assured us that they were with us. Mohun Bagan were standing by themselves... see Mohun Bagan does not cheat anyone out of their money. There were some difficulties, maybe delays of a month or two, but players understood and took it well. Now, the situation has changed; things are more or less fine now."

What followed that season is now history. Mohun Bagan took the title from Bengaluru FC thanks to a last-minute goal by Bello Rasaq. The Mariners tasted their first league title in 13 years and the long trophyless streak was broken.

Even as the fans and players were celebrating after that victory, Sen was beside himself doing something unexpected. A Mohun Bagan fan had jumped over the fence at Kanteerava and fallen badly, breaking his leg. The guards at the stadium had not realised the damage and made him sit at the side without offering help. Sen realised what was happening, picked up the young fan and rushed straight to the ambulance. After reaching the hospital, the fan in question had to undergo a long operation where a steel plate had to be fitted into his leg. Had he not been treated in time, things could have been worse.

When asked about that incident, Sen appeared a bit taken aback to have that difficult memory brought up,

"I remember that. I didn't do it for the cameras or some fame or such. This is about being humane. I saw a boy wincing in pain, he needed help... we all see in the newspapers, that there's been an accident on the road and no one stops to help people. That's where we are today, so limited within ourselves. So yeah, I do remember, but I don't want to go back and talk about that. Just I felt I needed to do it... and something along the lines happened earlier too, I was coaching Mohammedan Sporting back then. We were playing against Mohun Bagan in the Calcutta Football League. Penn was fouled, there was an appeal for penalty. Karim Bencherifa was the Mohun Bagan coach back then. So at the Salt Lake Stadium they started to throw stones from behind the goalpost. Perhaps it was done by the Mohammedan supporters. I walked over from the reserve bench and picked up the stones and bricks and told the spectators to calm down, to let the game continue. I believed I should go do it... and the supporters showed trust in my faith. Next day in the papers many said many things about it, but I didn't do it for the cameras or to show off. I thought if I said, these thousands of fans may listen. These things come from within yourself. So it's nothing to think too much about... not just that day. If I see something like that in the roads today on my way to office or something, I'll stop and help. Nothing to say about it."

But that one title turned the tide for Mohun Bagan. The next day saw a mammoth unplanned victory parade with hundreds of thousands coming out to greet the team. The club was treated like a national contender again, and their good form continued next season when they came runners in the league and won the Federation Cup. 

The double title revealed that Sen had in him something Mohun Bagan were missing for a long time: trophy luck. With 4 major national level trophies in 3 years, Sen was one of the most successful gaffers in the country, and the effects could be seen at the Mohun Bagan tent. Sen recalled,

"Back then the people had sort of given up, the spectators were turning away from the games. During our practice sessions the Mohun Bagan Ground used to be empty but for a handful few. But slowly in the last two years the atmosphere has changed a lot. The fans want more now, that's only natural. Fulfilling their wishes is also another challenge, we'll see about that.. because after winning the I-League, the next season also we came close to winning it again, only one or two games made the difference. But we managed to keep our focus and won the Federation Cup. This season, too, we're trying to succeed in all the tournaments we play in."

The only blot on the club's performance was at the AFC Cup 2016, where despite sailing through the group stage unbeaten, Mohun Bagan fielded a relatively weak team against Tampines Rovers (a club they had beaten earlier that year in an AFC Champions League match) and that saw the Mariners go down 2-1 in the pre-quarter finals. When asked whether the club did not put as much emphasis on their Asian campaign as the domestic one, Sen softened his tone but did not evade the matter altogether,

"Our players were contracted till May only. We knew players wouldn't be available... maybe the officials had not thought of things like that, the way Bengaluru FC did with full year contracts. It wasn't possible for us because finance remains a concern for us, or was back then, which is why we couldn't to full year contracts and some players had ISL contracts already, so that problem was there too. We tried to do well as far as we could and I think it sent a message to the football supporters of Bengal; in the past AFC tournaments did not get enough importance, people focused on I-League. But that led to 13 years without winning that I-League. We focused on both and overall we did succeed to some extent. In the coming days if we approach this with proper planning we'll definitely get better results."

So, had the attitude of the Bagan officials changed towards AFC Cup? This time, Sanjoy Sen was more defensive, especially since the club lost its opening AFC Cup group stage match against Bengaluru FC 2-1 at Kanteerava. He said,

"Let us qualify for the next round first, we'll see. Right now I'm not thinking about all that."

The club's I-League campaign has also taken a hit. Mohun Bagan have not managed to secure only 1 win in their last 6 matches, and had other clubs in the title race - East Bengal and Aizawl FC - not dropped points as well, the Mariners' title hopes would be over. Asked how he wanted to make a comeback and re-assert Bagan's presence in the title race, Sen replied,

"Consistency is something we need to maintain. But no one can guarantee anything. If you look at the world, Real Madrid takes a 10 point lead and then falls behind. How? They have the world's best players! The league is such a place where you can't just hold onto the same system and consistency. Except Leicester City... they way they played last season, they played hard throughout the league... but that same team has gone down to the depths this season. Because no one thought that team will once again get relegated! No one thought they'll be champions again, but this is... Chelsea became champions  and next season almost fought relegation, why? Jose Mourinho is the world's best coach, why couldn't he deliver? And who am I next to him? Who am I? Today Jose Mourinho is managing Manchester United, why is his team at number six? His team should be number one! Coaches can never guarantee these things. Coaches can tell you that they'll try to maintain that consistency. It depends upon the players. Mentality, physical capabilities and schedule... "

So since neither East Bengal nor Aizawl FC have to play in AFC Cup, does the extra time to rest their players get give them an edge in the I-League title race? Sen answered,

"We have to prepare ourselves according to our own schedule. We can look at this chance to AFC as an extra opportunity to make our mark, for all of Indian football. If this gives advantage to others in the league, we can't do much about it. Despite disadvantage we have to do well. It's another challenge to overcome."

But the challenges that the first team faces are not the only one this veteran gaffer has to overcome. If Mohun Bagan win the I-League, they will play in the AFC Champions League next season. And to do that, they must employ a head coach who has completed and earned the Pro License course. Sanjoy Sen, being a coach with an A-License, will face the option of either earning the higher license before next January or risk losing his job at the club he has served so well for the last 3 years. When TFG raised this topic to him, he appeared nonchalant again,

"Well when it happens... I obviously have the wish, when the chance comes I'll do it. It'll be a task I'll have to undertake myself. AFC surely have plans in place to facilitate... if it happens I'll surely try to do it without disturbing my existing schedule... If I can't do it the club will appoint some other coach. Mohun Bagan club will not stop for anyone. The future will unveil in good time. If in the meantime it happens, I'll surely try to do it. And it's not easy to pass this license. We'll see."

Now, going into an international break, Sanjoy Sen will have to fall back to the basics to help his players recover and get prepared for a gruelling schedule in April where they will play 9 matches in I-League and AFC Cup that will determine their fate in both of those competitions. Sen said he wanted to work with his staff to improve the stamina and skill-set of individual players during the break. During his time at Mohun Bagan he has convinced the management to invest in some new training equipment, employ a reputed physiotherapist as well as hire a video analyst. In Kolkata clubs, management spending so much money at the behest of a coach - usually seen as a temporary employee - is a very rare thing. And it took Sen a long time to convince them. He said,

"What happens in other countries, we can't make it happen here in an instant. We have major problems in the infrastructure. But in other countries, every practice session gets analysed. The players' mistakes are more easily rectified that way and earlier; while this is something we try to do at the final stages which ultimately is less effective. But it helps in pointing out mistakes. Like if I point something out, one may not believe it. But if they see with their own eyes, I don't even have to tell them their mistake, they'll see and realise. This is the main goal. That's why the video analysis has been used for a long time in other countries. We are trailing behind a lot, at every department, but we're trying to catch up. This year it's been an addition to the team, and it'll surely do us good and be useful for players."

There are other ways he has managed to positively influence the club management as well. For starters, he advocated fielding a squad full of academy graduates and youngsters in the Calcutta Football League, with his assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty in charge. Mohun Bagan have slowly embraced youth development over the last few years with the launch of its academies and grassroot initiatives, but Sen wants them to go further and use CFL as a launchpad for new players. He said,

"The way football is played in our country, in one month you have to wrap up a local league like CFL, then you play ISL and I-League. For players this is very harmful. Because if you look at our fixtures, in these 12 days we are playing 4 matches. No team in the world has to play like this. Good result is something everyone asks for. But no one cares that it's unscientific, it's never feasible considering the state of the game in our country, and the physical condition of the players. But Mohun Bagan or East Bengal must win, they say. But is it possible? You'll play 10 games in a month in Calcutta Football League, then go over to ISL, from ISL you'll go on to AFC and I-League, then Federation Cup and AFC Cup... it's impossible. That's why there has to be emphasis on youth; this will increase the number of players, resources will increase for every club, and the standard of football will also rise."

With new ideas and a fresh approach to the game, backed up by back to back silverwares, Sanjoy Sen has put himself in a unique position. Today, he is easily the most influential coach in any club based in Kolkata. And with Mohun Bagan's good run in the national stage looking set to continue for a third season - whether they win anothe trophy or not - he has returned the club to a position of honour in Indian football and earned himself a strong tenure with the Mariners.

It's not clear whether he will be around at Mohun Bagan next season. Multiple factors will determine that, the coaching license being one of the big ones. But the way he has handled himself in a job that has seen legendary coaches get crushed by pressures on and off the field deserves special respect. 

He has changed the first team for the better, adopting principles and components that are likely to last beyond his stint with the club. And slowly but surely his man mangement - with players and officials both - has helped the club change, and move in a better direction. Today, as the team desperately chases another league title that's dangling just beyond their palms' reach, Sanjoy Sen is inching closer to creating something few of the coaches in the big Maidan clubs even dream of achieving: a lasting legacy.