Had no idea that the ATK schools had started. Not one, but they have two that is operating over the last one and half months.
Ragging controversy hits Atletico de Kolkata ahead of ISL Written by: Sujata Sarkar Updated: Friday, September 30, 2016, 13:31 [IST] Kolkata, Sep 30:
Just two days before their kick-off in the third Indian Super League (ISL) on 2nd October, one of the franchises, Atletico De Kolkata (ATK) seems to be in an embarrassing state.One of their students at ATK football school at Barasat, around 25 kilometres from Kolkata city has submitted a written complaint to the franchise director Sanjiv Goenka’s office very recently, seeking justice. ATK has two football schools in West Bengal. Both the schools have approximately 20 to 25 students of Under-19 age who have been learning the game for the last one and half months only. But only in such a short time, goalkeeper Arkadeep Mondal’s father Ajit Mondal has made an allegation against coaches of the academy, Saptarshi Mondal and Barun Sengupta. Ajit, speaking on the issue, recently, said: "My son is the victim of ragging every day. He is asked by the coaches to run at least 50 yards round the ground alone despite the fact that all other students have finished their physical training. And my son got senseless after completing 20 yards." The father of that young goalkeeper also complained saying: "That coach had asked his other students to hit balls at my son when one day he was trying to save penalty shots." Ajit seems to be in great distress now. According to him, the accused coaches have asked him not to send his son anymore to the school. Ajit said, "How can I get my son admitted in any other school now?" However, both the coaches have refuted allegations, made by goalkeeper’s father. One of the coaches, Saptarshi, when asked about the issue fumed and replied, "That goalkeeper always used to throw abusive languages towards his colleagues and he also often got himself embroiled into the scuffle with his mates. Apart from this, we have never displayed rude behaviour with the students here."
- New stadium, new manager, new slogan — Atletico de Kolkata all set for ISL III
Days before their ISL III opener against defending champions Chennaiyin FC on October 2, t2 caught up with Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Sanjiv Goenka, marquee man Helder Postiga (yes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Portugal teammate) and Iain Hume, the man who lead ATK’s attack with 11 goals last season, at the CESC House. Earlier in the day, the trio along with co-owner Utsav Parekh and defender Arnab Mondal had launched the team’s new song and slogan — Aamar Bukey ATK, at Au Bon Pain, Park Street. “The whole city identifies with ATK very strongly. In two years it has become the city’s favourite football club. So we thought what sentiment represents that… so we came up with Aamar Bukey ATK… we feel it’s absolutely apt,” said Sanjiv Goenka, on the team’s new war cry.
The team is on autopilot and the need for the owners to get involved is minimum. That’s the advantage of having a full-fledged CEO in Raghu Iyer (worked with Rajasthan Royals in IPL). I guess IPL taught me what to do and most importantly what not to do. I’m just following that — Sanjiv Goenka, on whether he’s taken a step back in ATK
A fresh start
How is the pre-season training coming along?
Hume: Great. We missed a few players in Spain, who were playing the Calcutta Football League, but for us who were there, there was a lot of football. A mix of ball and fitness work put together. We played three games and now we’re back in the heat of Calcutta. We’ll need a couple of days to get used to the humidity... but we’ll be ready for Chennai.
Postiga: We had a very good month with the team. We all got to know the ideas of coach (Jose) Molina a lot better. Now the other players have joined, which is important. We’ll need to adjust with the weather and food, because it’s very different from what I’m used to.
How different is new ATK boss Jose Molina from previous manager Antonio Habas (now in charge of Pune City FC)?
Sanjiv: He’s a different individual. Habas was someone who had immense strength and for whom I had great respect. In my interaction with Molina, he’s come across as very patient. He plays positive football. His first season is yet to begin but we obviously have very high expectations from him which is why we’ve appointed him.
Hume: Every player gets different reactions to training with different coaches. Helder and I have played for so many different coaches throughout our career, so it doesn’t make too much difference. Yes, Molina is different, but nothing drastic. It’s not like we’re going ‘oh my god, it’s a new coach… training is crazy’. It’s nothing like that. It’s just a new way of approaching football. I’ve really enjoyed the last one month of training under him.
Postiga: You can’t compare because they are different personalities. Molina is more quiet and slightly reserved… Habas always had so much enthusiasm. But most importantly, they are two fantastic coaches and I hope Molina can turn out to be better for us (laughs).
A new home: Rabindra Sarobar Stadium
Sanjiv: Change is a way of life. It’s the only constant. I understand why the Salt Lake stadium wasn’t available this year (because of preparations for Under-17 World Cup in 2017) and we really hope it’ll be available next year. But at times the circumstances are such, you have to make do with what you have, and Rabindra Sarobar was the next best option. The stadium is much smaller compared to Salt Lake in terms of capacity (around 12,500 for ISL III as opposed to the 84,000 of Salt Lake stadium), so we definitely lose money. But that’s what it is. The time to contemplate is gone, now we have to act. We are just a few days away from the first game so it’s all systems go (smiles).
We’re here to win. Not to make up the numbers. If we can play as well as we are capable of playing with the players we have, there’s no reason for us not to win — Iain Hume,on ATK’s season ahead
Has the stadium saga acted as a distraction?
Sanjiv: I don’t think so. The team is focused on football. The administration is working on this. So they will do their job and the administration will do its. I’m sure keeping the environment and neighbourhood in mind, we’ll make appropriate arrangements… we have a competent professional team working on it.
Iain, you became a Salt Lake stadium fan favourite. Will you miss playing there?
Hume: The atmosphere at Salt Lake was amazing. We had the highest attendance in ISL II in the second semi-final against Chennai. But it comes with success and if we play as well this season, our new stadium is going to be full as well. What more can you ask for?
A lot of new and familiar faces from Calcutta have joined ATK. Was it a conscious decision considering there were always a few fans who felt ATK didn’t have a Calcutta connect in terms of its players?
Sanjiv: We try and improve every year by retaining the best part of the team and improving in the areas which we feel we were lacking in last season. I’ve not been a part of the team selections as such. I don’t know enough to be a part of it. But as far as I’m concerned they chose the best players they thought were available, and not on the basis of regional representation.
Postiga: We have a great group of Indian players. I can tell you about this young guy in our team who’s impressed me, he’s so good. I won’t tell you his name, because hopefully you’ll find out who it is soon enough. He has huge potential. He’s young… just 19. So has a lot of time to improve.
I did it for the first goal I scored in India. India is such a nice country. People are so friendly… so respectful and it was my way of saying thank you to the people. I’ll have to do something different this year — Helder Postiga, on how he’ll celebrate a goal having done a namaste last season
Hume: But yeah, not just him, we’ve got a great squad. We just met with the local players, the ones who were playing in the Calcutta Football League and couldn’t attend the pre-season in Spain. I’m really impressed. It’s going to be a great season.
Deadliest duo
You two are undoubtedly the deadliest strike force in this ISL... what’s it like playing with each other?
Postiga: Hume is a great player… and when you’re playing with someone like him, your work becomes easier. I hope this season we both can play well and hopefully if we do, the team will also play well.
Hume: Last year, he (Postiga) played 70 minutes and scored two goals… against the eventual champions (Chennaiyin FC). He started off so well. Now he’s back from his injury and if the team can play like they did last season, Helder and I will score goals. We’ve had a good pre-season, and now the challenge is to work hard and strike up a partnership like we did last year.
But you might have to play in a withdrawn role with Postiga back in the Number Nine role...
Hume: See, I love playing. End of story. Number 10, Number 9, Number 11, Number 7 are all these traditional numbers… but it doesn’t matter to me where I’m playing as long as I can help the team win. Helder is a natural goalscorer and he’s gonna put the ball in the back of the net and if I can complement him and add to that… things will look great for ATK.
As owner, do you think this partnership will give you the edge?
Sanjiv: They are brilliant, but every other member is also important. I think it’s like choosing which finger is the most important. How can you choose? You use a few fingers more and a few fingers less but then it all works as a team… we have very high expectations from these two, as we have from the whole team.
Looking ahead: ISL III
What are your expectations from ATK’s season?
Sanjiv: Hope the boys play very well and produce good results. We have every reason to believe we can win if we can play to our potential.
Postiga: We’ll give our best and get what we deserve.
Iain: We’re here to win. Not to make up the numbers. If we can play as well as we are capable of playing with the players we have, there’s no reason for us not to win.
PABLO GALLARDO TO MISS THE WHOLE SEASON DUE TO INJURY
Atlético de Kolkata’s Head Coach José Molina announced Saturday afternoon that Defender Pablo Gallardo will miss the 2016 season due to a broken ligament which he suffered during the last practice tie on Sunday against Dipendu Biswas XI.
Pic Atlético de Kolkata
While clearing a long ball, he collied with Debjit Majumdar and fell down in a occuard manner.
He’ll be returning back to Spain for medical treatment on Sunday.
Atlético de Kolkata Management has yet to announce the replacement.
“It’s a huge blow for us. Hope the team can do well. ”
José Luis Espinosa, Footballer, Atlético de Kolkata.
Comments
Ragging controversy hits Atletico de Kolkata ahead of ISL Written by: Sujata Sarkar Updated: Friday, September 30, 2016, 13:31 [IST] Kolkata, Sep 30:
Just two days before their kick-off in the third Indian Super League (ISL) on 2nd October, one of the franchises, Atletico De Kolkata (ATK) seems to be in an embarrassing state.One of their students at ATK football school at Barasat, around 25 kilometres from Kolkata city has submitted a written complaint to the franchise director Sanjiv Goenka’s office very recently, seeking justice. ATK has two football schools in West Bengal. Both the schools have approximately 20 to 25 students of Under-19 age who have been learning the game for the last one and half months only. But only in such a short time, goalkeeper Arkadeep Mondal’s father Ajit Mondal has made an allegation against coaches of the academy, Saptarshi Mondal and Barun Sengupta. Ajit, speaking on the issue, recently, said: "My son is the victim of ragging every day. He is asked by the coaches to run at least 50 yards round the ground alone despite the fact that all other students have finished their physical training. And my son got senseless after completing 20 yards." The father of that young goalkeeper also complained saying: "That coach had asked his other students to hit balls at my son when one day he was trying to save penalty shots." Ajit seems to be in great distress now. According to him, the accused coaches have asked him not to send his son anymore to the school. Ajit said, "How can I get my son admitted in any other school now?" However, both the coaches have refuted allegations, made by goalkeeper’s father. One of the coaches, Saptarshi, when asked about the issue fumed and replied, "That goalkeeper always used to throw abusive languages towards his colleagues and he also often got himself embroiled into the scuffle with his mates. Apart from this, we have never displayed rude behaviour with the students here."
Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/sports/football/ragging-controversy-hits-atletico-de-kolkata-ahead-isl-2223003.html
ATK strike force
- New stadium, new manager, new slogan — Atletico de Kolkata all set forISL III
Days before their ISL III opener against defending champions Chennaiyin FC on October 2, t2 caught up with Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Sanjiv Goenka, marquee man Helder Postiga (yes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Portugal teammate) and Iain Hume, the man who lead ATK’s attack with 11 goals last season, at the CESC House. Earlier in the day, the trio along with co-owner Utsav Parekh and defender Arnab Mondal had launched the team’s new song and slogan — Aamar Bukey ATK, at Au Bon Pain, Park Street. “The whole city identifies with ATK very strongly. In two years it has become the city’s favourite football club. So we thought what sentiment represents that… so we came up with Aamar Bukey ATK… we feel it’s absolutely apt,” said Sanjiv Goenka, on the team’s new war cry.
The team is on autopilot and the need for the owners to get involved is minimum. That’s the advantage of having a full-fledged CEO in Raghu Iyer (worked with Rajasthan Royals in IPL). I guess IPL taught me what to do and most importantly what not to do. I’m just following that
— Sanjiv Goenka, on whether he’s taken a step back in ATK
A fresh start
How is the pre-season training coming along?
Hume: Great. We missed a few players in Spain, who were playing the Calcutta Football League, but for us who were there, there was a lot of football. A mix of ball and fitness work put together. We played three games and now we’re back in the heat of Calcutta. We’ll need a couple of days to get used to the humidity... but we’ll be ready for Chennai.
Postiga: We had a very good month with the team. We all got to know the ideas of coach (Jose) Molina a lot better. Now the other players have joined, which is important. We’ll need to adjust with the weather and food, because it’s very different from what I’m used to.
How different is new ATK boss Jose Molina from previous manager Antonio Habas (now in charge of Pune City FC)?
Sanjiv: He’s a different individual. Habas was someone who had immense strength and for whom I had great respect. In my interaction with Molina, he’s come across as very patient. He plays positive football. His first season is yet to begin but we obviously have very high expectations from him which is why we’ve appointed him.
Hume: Every player gets different reactions to training with different coaches. Helder and I have played for so many different coaches throughout our career, so it doesn’t make too much difference. Yes, Molina is different, but nothing drastic. It’s not like we’re going ‘oh my god, it’s a new coach… training is crazy’. It’s nothing like that. It’s just a new way of approaching football. I’ve really enjoyed the last one month of training under him.
Postiga: You can’t compare because they are different personalities. Molina is more quiet and slightly reserved… Habas always had so much enthusiasm. But most importantly, they are two fantastic coaches and I hope Molina can turn out to be better for us (laughs).
A new home: Rabindra Sarobar Stadium
Sanjiv: Change is a way of life. It’s the only constant. I understand why the Salt Lake stadium wasn’t available this year (because of preparations for Under-17 World Cup in 2017) and we really hope it’ll be available next year. But at times the circumstances are such, you have to make do with what you have, and Rabindra Sarobar was the next best option. The stadium is much smaller compared to Salt Lake in terms of capacity (around 12,500 for ISL III as opposed to the 84,000 of Salt Lake stadium), so we definitely lose money. But that’s what it is. The time to contemplate is gone, now we have to act. We are just a few days away from the first game so it’s all systems go (smiles).
We’re here to win. Not to make up the numbers. If we can play as well as we are capable of playing with the players we have, there’s no reason for us not to win — Iain Hume, on ATK’s season ahead
Has the stadium saga acted as a distraction?
Sanjiv: I don’t think so. The team is focused on football. The administration is working on this. So they will do their job and the administration will do its. I’m sure keeping the environment and neighbourhood in mind, we’ll make appropriate arrangements… we have a competent professional team working on it.
Iain, you became a Salt Lake stadium fan favourite. Will you miss playing there?
Hume: The atmosphere at Salt Lake was amazing. We had the highest attendance in ISL II in the second semi-final against Chennai. But it comes with success and if we play as well this season, our new stadium is going to be full as well. What more can you ask for?
New faces
A lot of new and familiar faces from Calcutta have joined ATK. Was it a conscious decision considering there were always a few fans who felt ATK didn’t have a Calcutta connect in terms of its players?
Sanjiv: We try and improve every year by retaining the best part of the team and improving in the areas which we feel we were lacking in last season. I’ve not been a part of the team selections as such. I don’t know enough to be a part of it. But as far as I’m concerned they chose the best players they thought were available, and not on the basis of regional representation.
Postiga: We have a great group of Indian players. I can tell you about this young guy in our team who’s impressed me, he’s so good. I won’t tell you his name, because hopefully you’ll find out who it is soon enough. He has huge potential. He’s young… just 19. So has a lot of time to improve.
I did it for the first goal I scored in India. India is such a nice country. People are so friendly… so respectful and it was my way of saying thank you to the people. I’ll have to do something different this year — Helder Postiga, on how he’ll celebrate a goal having done a namaste last season
Hume: But yeah, not just him, we’ve got a great squad. We just met with the local players, the ones who were playing in the Calcutta Football League and couldn’t attend the pre-season in Spain. I’m really impressed. It’s going to be a great season.
Deadliest duo
You two are undoubtedly the deadliest strike force in this ISL... what’s it like playing with each other?
Postiga: Hume is a great player… and when you’re playing with someone like him, your work becomes easier. I hope this season we both can play well and hopefully if we do, the team will also play well.
Hume: Last year, he (Postiga) played 70 minutes and scored two goals… against the eventual champions (Chennaiyin FC). He started off so well. Now he’s back from his injury and if the team can play like they did last season, Helder and I will score goals. We’ve had a good pre-season, and now the challenge is to work hard and strike up a partnership like we did last year.
But you might have to play in a withdrawn role with Postiga back in the Number Nine role...
Hume: See, I love playing. End of story. Number 10, Number 9, Number 11, Number 7 are all these traditional numbers… but it doesn’t matter to me where I’m playing as long as I can help the team win. Helder is a natural goalscorer and he’s gonna put the ball in the back of the net and if I can complement him and add to that… things will look great for ATK.
As owner, do you think this partnership will give you the edge?
Sanjiv: They are brilliant, but every other member is also important. I think it’s like choosing which finger is the most important. How can you choose? You use a few fingers more and a few fingers less but then it all works as a team… we have very high expectations from these two, as we have from the whole team.
Looking ahead: ISL III
What are your expectations from ATK’s season?
Sanjiv: Hope the boys play very well and produce good results. We have every reason to believe we can win if we can play to our potential.
Postiga: We’ll give our best and get what we deserve.
Iain: We’re here to win. Not to make up the numbers. If we can play as well as we are capable of playing with the players we have, there’s no reason for us not to win.
PABLO GALLARDO TO MISS THE WHOLE SEASON DUE TO INJURY
Atlético de Kolkata’s Head Coach José Molina announced Saturday afternoon that Defender Pablo Gallardo will miss the 2016 season due to a broken ligament which he suffered during the last practice tie on Sunday against Dipendu Biswas XI.
Pic Atlético de Kolkata
While clearing a long ball, he collied with Debjit Majumdar and fell down in a occuard manner.
He’ll be returning back to Spain for medical treatment on Sunday.
Atlético de Kolkata Management has yet to announce the replacement.
“It’s a huge blow for us. Hope the team can do well. ”
José Luis Espinosa, Footballer, Atlético de Kolkata.