Why FC Pune City don’t want to be just an ‘ISL Club’
Gaurav Modwel is the CEO of FC Pune City. Image Source: twitter
Kolkata: Hero Indian Super League franchise FC Pune City has been one of the top franchises despite not winning the coveted title in the history of the competition. Right from the start, their approach towards the youth development, activities to produce quality footballers, initiative to promote and spread awareness to develop women’s football – FC Pune City has been showing the way to the other ISL franchises. The CEO of the club Gaurav Modwel has been true leader to implement all the ideas of the club to improve the standard of football in India. In an exclusive interaction with www.xtratime.in football correspondent Suman Chakravorty, Gaurav revealed all the plans they have achieved so far as well as their missions for the future. Here goes the conversation:
XT: FC Pune City has been doing a remarkable job in youth development and setting a bar for all the other ISL franchises. What do you like to say about it?
Gaurav: Firstly, one thing which I wanna mention is that, it’s not just the ISL, which we are focusing. We have been in different leagues actually. We are playing the ISL, but also competitions like the U18 I-League, IFA Shield, the Goa Super Cup which are not ISL based. We are also playing women leagues which no other ISL or I-League clubs except the Aizawl FC, has participated. Our focus is to become a true football club, rather being just an ISL club. Our mission is to work for the overall development of Indian football. That is why we believe we are the best in business.
XT: After Pune FC, it’s FC Pune City who has been carrying the torch of football in Pune. How do you see this responsibility?
Gaurav: It’s really sad that we don’t have adequate competitions in Pune. We would have been glad if would have had more clubs from Pune. We could have had more opportunities to help the football loving people of Pune if there were Pune City, Pune FC, DSK and Bharat FC in together from the city. We have always tried to do the collaborative development of Indian football. It saddens me when I see the competition these days.
XT: The AIFF is about to start a corporate league from this season which is like the reserve leagues. The ISL teams will have to pick a replacement if someone gets injured during the competition. What are your plans for that?
Gaurav: I will be really happy and excited if it runs throughout the season and not for three or four months like the U18 I-League. We already have a good pool of players ready through our youth development plans. So, we have to wait and see about the format and how it goes. If it appears to be really interesting, we would be delighted to play, else we would be happy to loan out the players to different I-League clubs like we did in the last season. Like Chesterpaul Lyngdoh was loaned out to Churchill Brothers and he did exceptionally well. For us, the development of the players is more important. We want to wait and watch.
XT: FC Pune City has always been pro-active on their approach. You have sent players like Manish Maithani and Israil Gurung on loan to Portuguese clubs. Doing a great job to develop young Indian players in different ways. You have proven it again that football is not always about titles. What would the plan in the draft on Sunday?
Gaurav: Your words are like music to my ears. It means a lot us. For the draft, well, we have some definite objectives. We certainly have some strategies and too definitely for a longer run. As you rightly mentioned, we’ll certainly have some pro-active philosophy going on to the draft, but lets see how the things go. So, I will leave it to you to decide how much successful we are rather than I claim it. I want you to give me a call on the Sunday evening and say yes, Gaurav whatever you promised, you have achieved in the end(Smiles). And we will keep driving the process. We have full faith on our technical teams.
XT: How much involvement Hrithik Roshan has behind the team build up?
Gaurav: Arjun Kapoor was with us for a season as well and he has a great knowledge of the game, specially in the European circuit. Hrithik unfortunately remains busy with his commitments and his works, which is understandable with the star he is. Same things go with Dhoni as well unlike Abhishek Bachchanm Varun Dhawan or Virat Kohli. It depends on the individuals and their schedules as well. But one think I want to say, ISL coming out of the shadows of them. The league now have its own stars like Hume, Mendoza, Malouda or Marcelinho. The off-the field celebrities are good for the fans to click selfies and all but, its more important to have the league to have its own heroes.
XT: I want an honest answer from you.
Gaurav: Then ask me an easy one please. (Laughs)
XT: Okay then. What’s the latest update on Malouda and Marcelinho, as I know they are linked with your club.
Gaurav: Hahaha. Well this is absolutely against the professional ethics(laughs again) and the responsibility I have for the club. You can make it a bit easy for me, they are good players and everyone would have loved to have them in the team but well (laughs again), it’s too early. That’s all what I can say.
'But one think I want to say, ISL coming out of the shadows of them. The league now have its own stars like Hume, Mendoza, Malouda or Marcelinho. The off-the field celebrities are good for the fans to click selfies and all but, its more important to have the league to have its own heroes.'---Great to hear that from an ISL team owner...also it would be great if they could manage to bring Marcelinho...he was one of the high points of the ISL last season
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Why FC Pune City don’t want to be just an ‘ISL Club’
Gaurav Modwel is the CEO of FC Pune City. Image Source: twitter
Kolkata: Hero Indian Super League franchise FC Pune City has been one of the top franchises despite not winning the coveted title in the history of the competition. Right from the start, their approach towards the youth development, activities to produce quality footballers, initiative to promote and spread awareness to develop women’s football – FC Pune City has been showing the way to the other ISL franchises. The CEO of the club Gaurav Modwel has been true leader to implement all the ideas of the club to improve the standard of football in India. In an exclusive interaction with www.xtratime.in football correspondent Suman Chakravorty, Gaurav revealed all the plans they have achieved so far as well as their missions for the future. Here goes the conversation:
XT: FC Pune City has been doing a remarkable job in youth development and setting a bar for all the other ISL franchises. What do you like to say about it?
Gaurav: Firstly, one thing which I wanna mention is that, it’s not just the ISL, which we are focusing. We have been in different leagues actually. We are playing the ISL, but also competitions like the U18 I-League, IFA Shield, the Goa Super Cup which are not ISL based. We are also playing women leagues which no other ISL or I-League clubs except the Aizawl FC, has participated. Our focus is to become a true football club, rather being just an ISL club. Our mission is to work for the overall development of Indian football. That is why we believe we are the best in business.
XT: After Pune FC, it’s FC Pune City who has been carrying the torch of football in Pune. How do you see this responsibility?
Gaurav: It’s really sad that we don’t have adequate competitions in Pune. We would have been glad if would have had more clubs from Pune. We could have had more opportunities to help the football loving people of Pune if there were Pune City, Pune FC, DSK and Bharat FC in together from the city. We have always tried to do the collaborative development of Indian football. It saddens me when I see the competition these days.
XT: The AIFF is about to start a corporate league from this season which is like the reserve leagues. The ISL teams will have to pick a replacement if someone gets injured during the competition. What are your plans for that?
Gaurav: I will be really happy and excited if it runs throughout the season and not for three or four months like the U18 I-League. We already have a good pool of players ready through our youth development plans. So, we have to wait and see about the format and how it goes. If it appears to be really interesting, we would be delighted to play, else we would be happy to loan out the players to different I-League clubs like we did in the last season. Like Chesterpaul Lyngdoh was loaned out to Churchill Brothers and he did exceptionally well. For us, the development of the players is more important. We want to wait and watch.
XT: FC Pune City has always been pro-active on their approach. You have sent players like Manish Maithani and Israil Gurung on loan to Portuguese clubs. Doing a great job to develop young Indian players in different ways. You have proven it again that football is not always about titles. What would the plan in the draft on Sunday?
Gaurav: Your words are like music to my ears. It means a lot us. For the draft, well, we have some definite objectives. We certainly have some strategies and too definitely for a longer run. As you rightly mentioned, we’ll certainly have some pro-active philosophy going on to the draft, but lets see how the things go. So, I will leave it to you to decide how much successful we are rather than I claim it. I want you to give me a call on the Sunday evening and say yes, Gaurav whatever you promised, you have achieved in the end(Smiles). And we will keep driving the process. We have full faith on our technical teams.
XT: How much involvement Hrithik Roshan has behind the team build up?
Gaurav: Arjun Kapoor was with us for a season as well and he has a great knowledge of the game, specially in the European circuit. Hrithik unfortunately remains busy with his commitments and his works, which is understandable with the star he is. Same things go with Dhoni as well unlike Abhishek Bachchanm Varun Dhawan or Virat Kohli. It depends on the individuals and their schedules as well. But one think I want to say, ISL coming out of the shadows of them. The league now have its own stars like Hume, Mendoza, Malouda or Marcelinho. The off-the field celebrities are good for the fans to click selfies and all but, its more important to have the league to have its own heroes.
XT: I want an honest answer from you.
Gaurav: Then ask me an easy one please. (Laughs)
XT: Okay then. What’s the latest update on Malouda and Marcelinho, as I know they are linked with your club.
Gaurav: Hahaha. Well this is absolutely against the professional ethics(laughs again) and the responsibility I have for the club. You can make it a bit easy for me, they are good players and everyone would have loved to have them in the team but well (laughs again), it’s too early. That’s all what I can say.
'But one think I want to say, ISL coming out of the shadows of them. The league now have its own stars like Hume, Mendoza, Malouda or Marcelinho. The off-the field celebrities are good for the fans to click selfies and all but, its more important to have the league to have its own heroes.'---Great to hear that from an ISL team owner...also it would be great if they could manage to bring Marcelinho...he was one of the high points of the ISL last season