The tone of the session was set by Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle, who praised the potential of the young Indians and gave a timeline within which the national team can start targeting FIFA World Cup qualification.
Stunning would be an understatement to describe them! 🤯
Look #ISL 2024-25, September 13 onwards, LIVE only on @JioCinema, @Sports18 & #AsianetPlus! đź“ş#Let’sPlayFootball | @RocaDT_Oficial @2014_manel image.twitter.com/UGYkRLJEln
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) September 6, 2024
“We all have a duty to improve Indian football. We all want the Indian Super League to be talked about highly. Now that my good friend Manolo (Marquez) is with the Indian team, I hope the national team will also start to rise in the FIFA rankings. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to think that we could be working towards qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in eight or 10 years. There is real potential in India,” Coyle said.
Kerala Blasters FC welcome Mikael Stahre
Kerala Blasters FC will begin the new campaign under the leadership of a new head coach, Mikael Stahre, who has struck an instant connection with the passion for the sport in the city.
“Kerala Blasters FC is a great club with a huge fan base that fills the stadiums to capacity at every game, which is part of the reason I came here. We trained for a month in Thailand in a great facility and I am very pleased with that. The boys have been very committed from the first second; it is a great group of players who are eager to develop,” said Stahre.
Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC rekindle their rivalry
Mumbai City FC have made a minor overhaul of their squad, with three key players, Rahul Bheke, Alberto Noguera and Jorge Pereyra Diaz, joining Bengaluru FC. Coach Petr Kratky believes episodes like this are common in modern football, instead highlighting how teams raise their game when facing the Islanders, paving the way for spectacular matches every time.
“We are starting a new chapter, so I am very excited. We have new players and new staff. We are working very hard behind the scenes to achieve our goals, it is about continuing with the processes, we want to be at the top all the time. Changes are part of football, people come and go, but we always try to work together and in the same direction as before,” said Kratky.
Head coach Gerard Zaragoza was excited about his first full season with Bengaluru FC, having taken over the reins midway through last season. With a full pre-season and new signings under his belt, Zaragoza is preparing his boys to take charge in matches this year.
“We have worked hard since pre-season to sign the players we need to succeed. The most important thing for us is to dominate games with and without the ball. Our idea is to make our fans happy, win as many games as possible and see how far we can go,” said Zaragoza.
Sandesh makes his long-awaited comeback
FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan is making a comeback after a knee injury that kept him out of the second half of last season. He reflected on the rehabilitation process and even exclaimed how surreal it is to appear in front of the Gaurs, the club’s passionate fan base.
“Rehabilitation, for any player, at such a crucial time of the season, has forced me to miss half of the season and also the important matches for the national team. I have been very lucky and I am very grateful to the people around me. I have started training with the team and will be back in action in a few matches,” said Jhingan.
New beginnings for Hyderabad FC
Lastly, the campaign will see a rejuvenated Hyderabad FC, under their new ownership, aiming to spark a comeback after a disappointing run last year. Head coach Thangboi Singto aptly recalled that the club had won the ISL finals in 2021-22 and expressed that they are keen to recapture that glory this season.
“I would say that we have had a very interesting run. Some of the youngsters have responded strongly. We want to rebuild and come back stronger and stronger and I hope that nobody forgets that Hyderabad FC are also ISL champions. I am sure that we will put in better performances this year,” Singto said.
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