Catala blasts 'mental weakness' as Blasters crash out | OneFootball

Catala Criticizes Mental Weakness as Kerala Blasters Exit Super Cup

Kerala Blasters FC head coach David Catala didn't mince words following his team's 1-2 defeat to a youthful Mohun Bagan Super Giant side in the Super Cup 2025 quarterfinals at Kalinga Stadium.

The Spanish tactician pointed directly to psychological frailties as the primary cause of their elimination from the tournament.

"I am disappointed because we had expectations for this competition. We tried to change the mentality of the players, but I can see that some of them still have not changed," Catala stated in his post-match press conference.

After defeating defending champions East Bengal in the previous round, Kerala Blasters struggled significantly against Mohun Bagan, particularly in defensive situations. The Mariners' wingers Salahudheen Adnan K and Ashique Kuruniyan consistently troubled Kerala's fullbacks Huidrom Naocha Singh and Hormipam Ruivah, creating the opportunities that led to both goals.

Former Kerala midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad opened the scoring for Mohun Bagan, while 20-year-old Suhail Bhat netted what proved to be the decisive goal, sending the Kolkata side through to a semifinal matchup against FC Goa.

Catala expressed frustration with his team's defensive vulnerability: "I thought we were strong in defense, but then we ended up conceding two easy goals. We knew their strength and that they would attack us from the sides, but we were very soft in the one-on-one situations."

Offensive inefficiency compounded Kerala's problems, with Spanish striker Jesus Jimenez—who scored 11 goals during the recent ISL season—squandering multiple clear opportunities. The forward missed three excellent chances in the second half, including two close-range attempts and a straightforward opportunity late in the match.

"We had numerous chances to score, but we weren't efficient enough. If you're fully concentrated, you simply cannot miss these chances. Meanwhile, they created just two or three clear chances and scored twice," Catala observed.

When questioned about the impact of injured talisman Adrian Luna's absence, Catala refused to use it as justification for the defeat, emphasizing collective responsibility.

"We are a team, so it's not a matter of missing just one player. I think we weren't strong enough to compete today, and this is something we need to improve for our upcoming season," he concluded.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant now advances to face FC Goa in the semifinal stage of the competition.

Source: SportStar