East Bengal’s secret to success: a harmonious trio from abroad

In modern football, control is the key to the game, rather than rushing to the goal – a trend that has made tiki-taka and route one total football more prominent.

It’s about freedom of choice – both during the build-up and during the attack.

The much-hyped match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the AIFF Super Cup may not have produced any goals, but it was an example of why control of the midfield is crucial for good performances; It is not called the engine room for nothing.

East Bengal have played three Kolkata derbies under Oscar Bruzon this season and have not lost one in regular time – with their only defeat coming in a penalty shootout in the IFA Shield final – and the secret to their solidity is the midfield trio of Saul Crespo, Miguel Figueira and Mohammed Rashid.

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Crespo and Rashid fluidly exchange the roles of playmaker and defensive midfielder. While Crespo often drifts to the left flank, combining with Jay Gupta and Bipin Singh, Rashid holds the midfield, allowing the number 10 – Naorem Mahesh Singh or Miguel Figueira – to run down the right.

«The specific instruction is that I have to go to the middle. Of course this is my job on the pitch; this is what the coach asked of me. But sometimes if a player of mine is down or can’t come back, I have to be the one to support him, because ultimately that is my job on the pitch, to support every player,» says Rashid.

«Football consists of (approximately) 11 players, it’s not tennis. This is what teamwork does. Teamwork brings you success.»

A big difference for East Bengal from previous ISL seasons is the midfield triumvirate: Rashid, Crespo and Brazilian Miguel, who reunited with Bruzon and had won several top-flight titles in Bangladesh.

“It’s great to play with him because he has a lot of quality, and I think the chemistry is very good together,” Crespo said of Miguel.

Foreign midfielders are needed

This is only the second time that East Bengal – as an ISL side – has had three foreign midfielders in the squad. The last time there were three was in a hastily assembled squad under Robbie Fowler in 2020.

This time, the recruitment took place well in advance under the leadership of Thangboi Singto, the head of football operations in East Bengal. Thangboi was Manolo Marquez’s assistant when Hyderabad FC won the ISL title in 2022.

«The scouting has been done differently this time by understanding the needs of the team using professional analysis. Thangboi has been responsible for that and I am happy with the players we have,» East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon said.

The result: The trio left Bagan with answers in the Kolkata derby at the AIFF Super Cup and guided the Red-and-Gold Brigade to the last four.

For Bagan, on the other hand, the number of foreign midfielders has gradually dropped from five – including an injured Joni Kauko – in the 2022/23 season to just one in the current season: Dimitrios Petratos.

The Mariners have signed a number of high-profile midfielders from India – Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa – while spending on foreigners in attack and defence.

«Every time we play against teams with foreign midfielders, we have no control over the position of the ball and have to defend too much. I tried to sign a foreign midfielder, but it was impossible,» José Molina, Bagan’s head coach, said after the match.

Last season, Bagan (nine goals) benefited from the presence of the ubiquitous Greg Stewart, who won the ISL Shield with three teams, Bagan, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC.

«Look at Greg Stewart; he was – in terms of the team’s statistics – their (Jamshedpur’s) best assister, their top scorer. He took the corners; he took the wild free-kicks. He probably even made the tea at half-time,» former Jamshedpur head coach Aidy Boothroyd had once said Sports stars.

But Bagan interpreted his departure not as a sign to plug the holes in midfield, but as a way to further strengthen the attacking arsenal by bringing in Robson Robinho Sao Paolo. They now have three foreign strikers, a number that rises to four if Petratos – the Australian can also play as a forward – is involved, bringing the number of foreign midfielders to zero.

With no AFC Champions League 2 (disqualified) and Super Cup (eliminated), the Mariners have no competitive football to look forward to until the next season of ISL is announced, for which Molina has partly blamed management.

On the other hand, East Bengal are two steps away from a place in Asia in a year full of uncertainty in Indian football. The difference? A foreign-designed midfield triumvirate that has set his domestic fanbase on fire.

Published on November 1, 2025