The 11th season of the Indian Super League is upon us and all 13 teams will look to bring their best to the table. Mohammedan SC, the I-League champions, are the new addition to the tournament and the Kolkata-based team will look to hit the ground running.
The ISL media day began in Kolkata with clubs like Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC, Odisha FC, Jamshedpur FC, and NorthEast United FC taking part.
“It’s a nice feeling to be a part of the ISL family. We did a great job last year by winning the I-League. I am thrilled about our supporters. They had been expecting this for many years. I can’t wait to get started with the league,” Chernyshov, Mohammedan SC head coach, said.
On the other hand, the other two Kolkata-based teams – ISL League Shield champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC are optimistic about making a solid start in the forthcoming season.
“It’s a process to prepare the team for the ISL. We have been working together for a month and there are still a few things to improve upon. We are confident in our players and the way we have trained until now,” Mariners head coach Jose Molina said.
“It’s a different season with different players, and hence I wouldn’t like to compare to the last campaign, because every team is in a different situation as they were last time around. We have the complete squad with us and we will have to be competitive from day one,” East Bengal FC chief coach Carles Cuadrat said.
Meanwhile, Odisha FC have shown an upward swing in their improvement graph and finished in fourth place in the previous season. Sergio Lobera wants to take the Kalinga Warriors to glory in the ISL.
“It’s been six years in India for me now. We had an amazing season last year, finishing at the top of the group in the AFC Cup. We were close to winning the Super Cup and we reached the ISL semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history. It was an amazing run and we want to replicate that this year to put a smile on the faces of the fans,” Lobera said.
Meanwhile, NorthEast United FC won the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup after stunning Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the final. Juan Pedro Benali will want his team to continue the good show in the ISL.
“We are now starting to realise with what we did in the Durand Cup! But, now, we look forward to the ISL and there’s another story that’s waiting for us in the coming season. Trophies in the past don’t make you play better. You are only as good as your last game,” Benali mentioned.
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