Spanish forward Arnal Llibert was able to get a spot in the starting XI when Atlético de Kolkata took on Kerala Blasters FC in the final of the Hero Indian Super League on Saturday night as a result of the absence of injured Ethiopian striker Fikru Teferra. Although the 34-year-old Spaniard did not score, he ended on the winning side after substitute Mohammed Rafique headed in the matchwinner deep into stoppage time for a 1-0 win to hand Kolkata the title. Arnal was visibly ecstatic at being able to contribute to his team’s success and confessed that it was a difficult game but his team was up to the task from the start.“It was a difficult game. You need to understand that all the teams are tired at this point. It’s a short season and the games come every three days, especially in the last couple of weeks with the semi-finals and the final. But we have been fighting from the start. Both teams have played some good football and I think we deserve it. It’s important not only for us as players, but also for the fans. This is our moment now,” Arnal told indiansuperleague.com after the match.The ‘City of Joy’ can be proud of its team’s achievement. The Kolkata fans were in full voice at the DY Patil Stadium following Rafique’s goal. “This victory was important for the fans, the city of Kolkata, the Atlético family and for football in India. We did it,” he said proudly. With this victory, the Kolkata franchise became the first champions of the inaugural tournament. Arnal described the feeling of as unique. “Right now, it’s a mixture of emotions. It was a hard season. Many things happened during the league. This is the best ending possible. It will probably hit us more tomorrow because when you’re on the pitch, you don’t realise what’s going on around. People love football here. You can see that in the streets. It’s nice to see the smile on people’s faces. It’s definitely a unique feeling,” he mused.The Kolkata frontman who has scored once in the ISL, was full of praise for the league and its organisers, saying that it is a fantastic venture, not only for him but for the marquee players as well. “I think the experience we picked up, not only us, but the marquee players as well, was immense. It’s not only about the money. It’s something different. This is India. It’s a big country. The people love their sport here and now they love football. And as I said earlier, right now we won’t realise the magnitude of the situation, but it will hit us tomorrow,” he concluded.
