ISL 2020-21 final: Sergio Lobera hails Mumbai City FC's hardwork for maiden title glory

By Team Newsable | First Published Mar 14, 2021, 10:32 AM IST

Mumbai City FC managed to finish atop the 2020-21 Indian Super League table. It ousted FC Goa in the semis before edging past ATK Mohun Bagan in the final. City played in its maiden final and won its maiden title, thanks to Bipin Singh's solo effort.

Mumbai City came up with a bright and tactical display of gameplay to edge past ATK Mohun Bagan in the final of the Indian Super League 2020-21 at the Fatorda Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. It was City's maiden title win in its first-ever final appearance, having earlier finished atop the league table.

Although ATKMB was ahead in the 18th minute, thanks to David Williams, Tiri's own goal 11 minutes later saw City level it. Nonetheless, in the 89th minute, a hard-fought effort from Bipin Singh allowed City to clinch it in the closing stages.

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Following the game, City boss Sergio Lobera hailed his side for the hard work it had put in throughout the season. "This is the result of hard work. I want to thank my players, staff, the magnificent fans, the management and all our families. It was a difficult situation at half-time. I told my players to focus on the game. I told them Amey is a strong player and he would want us to win this for him, he said, reports Sportstar.

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"The level of Indian players is the key to win trophies. They learn a lot every day and prove themselves on the field. It's not only about Bipin Singh because he scored the winner; I always talk about the collective effort. To win two trophies this season is amazing. We've created history and there's hopefully more to come in the future," he concluded.

Meanwhile, City striker Adam Le Fondre felt that his side deserved the win for the hard work it had put in throughout the season. "I think we deserved this win. This is for Amey. It was a horrible injury. And, it wasn't easy to focus after that. However, we are victorious. I'm thrilled. They came out with a high press at the beginning. But, once we got the flow, we started taking over from them. This win is like the icing on the cake. I came to India from Australia to win trophies. I knew the vision of City Football Group and liked it immediately. I also liked the coach's vision. Lobera put out a particular style and the players executed it to perfection. We triumphed in style," he reckoned.

In the meantime, ATKMB goal-scorer Williams expressed his disappointment, as he lost the final for the first time in his career. "I haven't been in a losing final before. It isn't enjoyable. It's hard to take this at the moment. I don't know what to say. We were in the game till the very end. But one moment of lapse in concentration put us on the backfoot. We deserved better. I would love to be back in India next year and try to compete in another final. But, I have to figure out what's best for my family before coming to a decision. We just want to have a drink tomorrow and talk about all this later. I feel gutted for the entire team," he concluded.

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