New Delhi: Spanish midfielder Jon Toral, who has represented the likes of La Masia and Arsenal alongside many European clubs in his career, joined Mumbai City FC ahead of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season to fight for title opportunity which he didn’t get at previous clubs.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Jon spoke on how Mumbai City FC has given him the opportunity to fight for titles, something which he has not gotten throughout his career.
“I think the biggest one for me (on why he joined Mumbai City) at this stage of my career was the fact that it was an opportunity for me to fight for titles. I think it’s something that I haven’t been able to do in Europe for various circumstances. At the end of the day, I was playing in the second division in England. All the clubs that have been added, the objectives were not to win the title. They were different, like in Greece as well. There were four or five teams that stepped ahead in that aspect.
“So to have that chance here to fight for silverware is something that I wanted to experience in my career. And I want that, I want to win things. And Mumbai gives me the chance to do that. So now it’s time to work hard to try and do that and have silverware at the end of the season,” Jon told IANS.
Jon began his football journey with local club UE Barri Santes Creus in Spain. His talent soon caught the attention of Spanish giants FC Barcelona, leading to his recruitment into their renowned youth academy, La Masia. Over eight years, he developed into a versatile midfielder known for his technical skills. He then moved to London to join Arsenal FC, marking the start of a new chapter in his career where he represented the Gunners in the Premier Reserve League, NextGen Series, and the UEFA Youth League.
Jon’s professional journey has seen him play for several clubs, including Brentford, Birmingham City, Hull City in England, Granada CF in Spain, Rangers FC in Scotland, and most recently OFI Crete FC in Greece. His versatility and adaptability have been evident throughout, consistently showcasing his technical prowess and football intelligence.
Over the course of his career, Jon has worked with some incredible coaches which include the likes of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Now as he faces a new challenge under the tutelage of Petr Kratky, the 29-year-old has hailed his head coach’s approach to the game as similar to what he has experienced in Europe.
“It’s been great, everyone. Obviously, I spoke to him (Petr Kratky) before coming to Mumbai and it’s exactly what he said, the detail he has tactically on every team, on the way we want to play and the way we work on that. It’s great, it’s amazing, it’s at the level of what I’ve had in Europe, so there’s no differences there. It’s been easy for me to join those training methods and adapt because it’s something that I’m used to and the level of training and detail of everything has been exceptional,” he added.
Throughout his career, Jon has played 275 games across various leagues and teams. Known for his silky touches and creative flair, he has registered 35 assists and scored 46 goals. Standing tall at 6 feet, he is a constant threat in the penalty box, adept at scoring with both his feet and head.
Jon started in the season opener against Mohun Bagan Super Giants but was subbed off before the half-time whistle, in which the team drew 2-2, and was not in the squad to face Jamshedpur in their second game where they lost 2-3. He went on to express his thoughts from the opening two games.
“Everyone’s disappointed with not being able to get those three points in the first two games, but I think if you see the games individually, the first game, the first half an hour we went, so we had the better chances and we were more in their box, but they were 2-0 up. So I think that the team showed great character to react to that and get a point. But yes, we scored four goals away from home.
“I think we are doing things well and we know that we can’t keep conceding that and that’s not just defenders, that’s the whole team. I think this is a team that starts from the back and defend and starts from the front. So it’s something that we need to be together and start avoiding conceding those goals and we’re working on that,” said Jon.
–IANS