Atlético de Kolkata returned home today after a month-long training sojourn in Spain and were accorded an enthusiastic welcome by a huge crowd of placard and flag waving fans who had thronged the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to receive the squad.The players and the officials were accorded a traditional welcome by ladies in traditional sarees and shepherded into the specially built team bus which ferried them to the hotel. They were later welcomed again and garlanded at the team hotel. Among those in the returning squad were manager Antonio López Habas and his Spanish armada that included marquee signing Luis García, Borja Fernández, Josemi etc, in addition to the Indian contingent.The Kolkata squad had met the first-team squad of club co-owners Atlético de Madrid, current champions of La Liga, as well as their charismatic manager, Diego Simeone, the former Argentine international, in Madrid yesterday. A few days earlier, they enjoyed the unprecedented honour of being presented to the Atleti faithful at the Vicente Calderón Stadium at half-time of the Madrid club’s La Liga fixture against Celta Vigo which ended in a 2-2 tie.Atlético de Kolkata played five preseason friendlies in Spain against local sides and remained unbeaten, winning three and drawing two, scoring 16 goals in the process. The club will inaugurate the Hero Indian Super League by taking on Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 12.
