FC Pune City have the best attack on paper in Indian Super League: Marcelinho
FC Pune City’s Indian Super League (ISL) journey so far hasn’t been the most rewarding. In the three seasons, they have had three different managers and never made it to the knockout phase. But Pune City’s new acquisition, Marcelinho, is confident of the team making the final in the upcoming edition.
Marcelinho, whose goal-scoring exploits at Dehli Dynamos won him the Golden Boot, is joined at Pune by the league’s third highest goal-getter last year -- Emiliano Alfaro. With 15 goals together in the previous season, Alfaro and Marcelinho are being dubbed as the most dangerous attacking duo in the league this season.
Joining Marcelinho from the capital club are midfielders Kean Lewis and Marcos Tebar.
“If you look at the players in the Pune side this year -- Alfaro, Marcos and I, we all understand Indian football so we have that slightly added pressure to carry Pune to the finals. But personally, I am very positive about the team reaching the finals this season,” said Marcelinho.
Marcelinho also believes that Pune boast of the best attack on paper, but that can only transition into the league’s top attacking outfit on the pitch, if the whole team is able to link up.
“I think Elfaro is a very intelligent player, Kean as well. We know each other from last year. I think we are very fast and strong offensively,” he said.
“On paper I think we have the best attack. But like the coach said, you don’t always get what you want. Of course we will do our best but the team is not just the attackers. If we are connected as a team we will surely be the best attacking side in the league.”
Pune City’s manager, Ranko Popovic, on the other hand, is looking to use his role for a dual purpose: firstly, to promote the ‘beautiful game’ in the country and leave the fans satisfied with the quality of football exhibited by Pune. Secondly, and more importantly, to inculcate a winning mentality into his team as Pune seek their first title.
“We want to try to play nice clean football. We want to leave the fans satisfied because football is a nice and beautiful game. So if we try and destroy it, it’s not acceptable. We are here to promote this game in India, and we must make it attractive,” said Popovic throwing some light on Pune City’s approach this season.
When asked about facing pressure from the management, given their lack of trust in managers over the years Popovic said: “If there is a big gap between your target and eventual result then you have a problem. But one must be realistic in your approach. Of course I want to win, all my life I have played to win, even if I play against my kids I want to win, or teach them how to win. This is what I want to teach my boys.”
FC Pune City host Delhi Dynamos in their first game of the season on November 22. For Marcelinho, Kean Lewis and Marcos Tebar, it will be an emotional opening game, as they look to get their campaign up and running against their old club. But Marcelinho admitted that he would be happy to score against Delhi because it is his job.
“Delhi Dynamos were my first team here in India. But with another team it’s a new beginning and I will celebrate because my team deserves it. Switching teams is a part of professional football,” said the Brazilian.
ISL 2017: FC PUNE CITY’S MARCELINHO - THE INDIAN CONTINGENT IN PUNE IS IMPRESSIVE
FC Pune City have a proven goal scorer in their ranks this season in Marcelinho. The former Delhi Dynamos attacker admitted that he enjoyed his stint with the Lions but now it’s time to help the Orange and Purple brigade make it into their first ever play-offs.
“I started my ISL journey with Delhi and I won the Golden Boot award. However, we are professional footballers and we start new journeys with new teams often. I will miss my Delhi days but I will be playing with Pune now and so my focus will be on my current team,” he stated.
He hailed the impact coach Ranko Popovic is having on the team since taking charge from Antonio Lopez Habas.
“I’m happy to be a part of FC Pune City and really looking forward for season four of the ISL. The team is gelling up well and we are trying our level best to fulfill the expectation of our head coach.
“The pre-season is going well. Our coach is leaving no stone unturned to train the team.”
Marcelinho is impressed with the Indian players at Pune City such as the likes of Kean Lewis, Vishal Kaith and more.
“The Indian players in the squad are really impressive. They have an urge to grow in the game and we often help each other while training. We have some youngest Indian players in the squad playing ISL for the first time but they have so much passion about the game that they apply those leanings while we train.”
FC Pune City faces Delhi Dynamos at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune on November 22 in their first ISL game this season.
ISL 2017: FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC - THERE IS A LONG BREAK BEFORE THE ISL STARTS
FC Pune City coach Ranko Popovic raised a pertinent question about Indian football’s calendar. He mentioned that the long break for the players before the Indian Super League (ISL) begins isn’t ideal.
The I-League ended back in April last year and the Indian footballers haven’t had competitive football action for the last six months or so.
“I’m positively surprised with the talent and organization here. What is a matter of concern is the break from which they come back to play ISL as it’s a long one. It’s normal here but for me it’s not because in Europe you may have about a month long break.
“But I’ve to adapt myself to the circumstances and work around the guys accordingly. The good part is that there is big space for development and the players are eager to learn so it’s good. We are here to help all the players in a way that eventually it also helps to raise the level of football in India,” said the 50-year-old.
The Orange and Purple outfit haven’t made it into the knockout stages even once in three seasons. Popovic’s immediate task would be to ensure that they make the cut this time around.
“What I want my team to do is to try and fight till the end. I think that’s the honest way to express our loyalty to the club, to the people and the supporters of this club. If we happen to lose during the course, at least no one will be unhappy with the performance as everyone will say these guys are doing all what they can do,” said the former Buriram United coach.
Pune have several young players in their squad this season and Popovic mentioned that he isn’t shy from fielding them in his first eleven. He pointed that it’s the quality of the player which matters as opposed to his age.
“Of course the youth team players have done well, but I don’t like to look at my team which has young and old players. Quality is most important, whether it’s a young or an old player. If he doesn’t have the quality why bring him in and break his confidence while playing quality opponents? For roping in young players, we must be very careful about the timing of introducing them into main teams.
“The team must be ready to accept young players and protect them in a way that they are developed in the right way. If you rope a young player too early, maybe that may not help him in the longer run and may become the worst moment of his career. It’s a very sensitive part of our job. I like young players but the important thing is to educate them about the pressures of playing in the main team, how to play the game at this level, for which he may not be at his best potential. It’s an education for them for the entire season and not for one particular match,” he explained.
Kean Lewis Doesn't Regret Leaving Leicester City to Play in India
Kean Lewis was in demand during the ISL draft and FC Pune City picked him. (News18 Sports)
New Delhi: 'You Play the Cards You're Dealt' says FC Pune City winger Kean Lewis, who wishes to see the glass half full rather than half empty.
The 25-year-old was selected to train with Leicester City when he was just 14 and was part of the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA).
"I started taking football seriously when I was 12, I enrolled in the PIFA and the owners were impressed with me, and I was sent to train with Leicester City. I was staying with the U-18 boys in the hostel and used to train with the U-14s and U-16s," Lewis tells News18.
He impressed the coaches at Leicester who wanted him to stay but that would have meant that his parents would have also had to move to the United Kingdom since Lewis was a minor at that time.
"My father is a business man and it was a difficult decision, considering that the family would have had to leave everything behind and start afresh in a new country without any source of income. Life could have been different but you play the cards you're dealt," Lewis adds, not regretting the decision.
However, Lewis came back and joined the Mahindra Football Academy before eventually joining the Tata Football Academy, which is the most prestigious academy in India.
"TFA remains the best academy for football in India. You play, sleep, eat football there. It's run professionally. 80% of the players who were with me now ply their trade in ISL or I-League," Lewis, says talking about the TFA.
The Maharashtra lad went to United States to further hone his skills before Kolkata Giants Mohun Bagan came knocking on the doors for the attacker.
"I consider myself fortunate to play in both the ISL and the I-League. I started in the Calcutta League but unfortunately was second in the line behind Sony Norde when it came to the I-League but it was a great learning experience."
Then, ISL happened and Lewis was signed by the Delhi Dynamos in 2016 where he was one of the most impressive players in the league.
Lewis played on the wings and formed a lethal trio with Marcelinho and Richard Gadze. He scored 4 goals in 14 appearances and had a couple of assists to his name. Many expected him to make cut for the Indian squad but the call never came.
"I am not in touch with anyone the Indian national team, I just want to focus on my training. It (India call-up) is all about the timing and it’s going to happen when the time is right," Lewis says talking about representing India.
The pacy winger was in demand during the ISL draft picked up by FC Pune City and Lewis is delighted to be closer to home with his family and friends.
"It has been fairly easy to settle here, my family lives close by. I have got friends in the city. In Delhi, I used to just stay in the hotel," he says.
Lewis was also all praise for the setup at FC Pune City and said that he will have a different role this year as compared to his role in Dynamos which bought him to everyone's attention.
"We have been training well and working hard. I am comfortable playing on the wings but I will have a slightly different role here, I will be focussing on the defensive duties too as this is a different setup."
FC Pune City remains the only club which has never made it to the top 4 but Lewis remains optimistic about his side's chances.
"We are training well and have had a pre-season in India to adjust to the conditions. We have played a couple of friendlies but the real test will come once the season starts. I feel we have the team that can make it to the finals," Lewis says about the team.
He also voiced support for a combined ISL and I-League with more teams as that would be something beneficial for both the players and the country.
"Ideally, one 9-10 month league with 18 teams would be perfect. That means the players will also be employed for a longer time and the Indian setup will also have close to 360-400 players," Lewis signed off.
Indian Super League is well organised league, says FC Pune City's coach Ranko Popovic
FC Pune City's coach Ranko Popovic in action during training session. (Image: FC Pune City)
With the fourth season of Indian Super League around the corner, FC Pune City's coach Ranko Popovic feels that Indian football is heading in the right direction and the star-studded ISL is very well organised league and has a lot of potential.
The fourth season of Indian Super League gets underway on Friday with last year runner-ups Kerala Basters set to host champions ATK in their backyard.
"I have been in India for a month and it is enough time to see few things out. Indian football or football of any other country can improve if you handle problems right way. Solve the problems step by step and it will deliver results," Ranko Popovic told exclusively to Sportswallah.
"The positive thing is that there is a huge amount of room to improve as all these players love their game and want to train regularly and have a positive attitude. If you do things in a hurry then from outside it will be nice but it can ruin from inside. India is now the country who is taking their football seriously and are going in the right direction."
"The Indian Super League is a well-organised league and is just three years old so the direction in which it is going is correct but at the same time there are problems and it should be solved step by step and Indian football can go long way," he added.
Despite praising the league, Ranko Popovic was not happy with Indian football's calendar. The I-League ended back in April last year and the Indian footballers haven’t had competitive football action for quite a long time now.
"For me, this is the biggest problem. There has been a very long break and many of them were not at all fit and were not doing any kind of exercise. They were not fit which one needs to meet the criteria for professional players and once we started training we had to be careful because you have to avoid injuries. So we had to reduce the timings of sessions and bring them to the required level."
"It was a new challenge for me but club and player were helpful in terms of communication and fortunately we detected this problem early. We are getting better and we are coming to the level we want. But it's not easy and it's a natural process - so we have to take things step by step. Mental fitness is also important and that helps them to perform up to the mark during the match," former Real Zaragoza coach said.
FC Pune City hasn't made it into the knockout stages even once in three seasons and when asked about how the preparations are going on, Popovic was wary to discuss his plans ahead of the season.
"I would not like to talk about the preparations at the moment as we are just a few days away from the start of the Championships. I want some more time as there was a long break for the players."
"But I won't say that we are not ready and other teams feel confident ahead of facing us - we are ready for the Indian Super League. But we are few training sessions away for the players to reach full fitness level. A couple of more sessions and the fitness level will be what I am looking forward to," he told Sportswallah.
There has been a very long break and many of them were not at all fit and were not doing any kind of exercise. They were not fit which one needs to meet the criteria for professional players and once we started training we had to be careful because you have to avoid injuries.
ISL 2017: Ranko Popovic, the man to turn tables around at FC Pune City?
Having been appointed as the coach of Indian Super League (ISL) franchisee FC Pune City, Ranko Popovic comes to India with a huge task in hand. Following fruitless stints in three years, under three different managers – Franco Colomba, David Platt and Antonio Lopez Habas – the Stallions are aiming to taste silverware now that they have got the Serbian tactician on board.
When questioned about the pressure to extract results given the demands of the management, Ranko Popovic clearly puts forward his goals.
“One thing is what you want, other thing is what you get. If there is a big gap between these two things, you have three times the problem. You must be realistic about what you can get. There have been no results in 3 years and you want it now in 30 days? No! You first have to make the base for this through training, building strong mentality and other factors.”
“When you have an idea and a philosophy, you need to start from scratch. You have to build the foundation and then it’s easy to build what you want. I have played football all my life to win and I want my boys to learn the same,” the 50-year-old said during a media interaction here.
Popovic knows how cruel the sport can be to managers. Slavoljub Muslin, former coach of Serbia, was ousted by the national team despite leading them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“In my modest opinion, the way managers are getting sacked without any respect these days is very terrible for football. Muslin is my friend and I’m happy not only for him, but for the national team. He knows what’s happened there but you cannot reach somewhere if you change managers day-to-day or year-to-year. You must have some way and you must devote some time. Things will click at the right moments, but it’s difficult for teams to know this,” the former Buriram United boss asserted.
With the Maharashtra outfit failing to qualify for the knockout stages in the past, Popovic will be raring to reach that mark in the upcoming season.
While Fanai has the ISL experience playing for Mumbai City FC, Isaac will make his debut in the tour as he enters the field donning the FC Pune City jersey.
FC Pune City begin their season against Delhi Dynamos FC on November 22 in Pune and Marcelinho and Marcos Tebar will look to turn the tables on their former sides.
Fanai believes the foreigners in the team have been very impressive and bring a lot of experience to the side.
"They guide us during our training sessions and ensure we grow in our game every passing day, something that our coach also emphasises on," said the left back.
Making his pro debut in 2012-13 I-League season for Shillong Lajong, Fanai moved to Bengaluru FC in 2014-15 season when the club won Federation Cup and finished second in the I-League.
Similarly, Isaac began his professional career with Shillong Lajong in 2015. His exploits in the midfield for Shillong Lajong last season prompted India coach Stephen Constantine to invite him for the national camp for the Asian Cup qualifiers.
"As this is my first ISL, for me getting an opportunity to play will be my first aim. If I play, I will make sure I play better than what I have played in past every single time I enter the pitch.
"Everyone in the team is also aiming to do the same so that we can achieve our goals because it will be the overall team's performance and not of any individual that will make a difference," explained Isaac.
I teach all my players to fight for victory, says FC Pune City coach ahead of ISL
The newly-appointed FC Pune City head coach Ranko Popovic has praised club CEO’s persistence in luring him to the club and managing in the Indian Super League for the first time.
The Serbian head coach has managed in Spain, Japan and Thailand and he will bring a certain continental taste to the table for FC Pune City.
Popovic has been a firm believer in playing beautiful football and is known to be an adept man manager. Season four will be his first in India and believes the Pune outfit has what it takes to ruffle a few feathers.
While they may not be the most attractive destination in the ISL, Popovic explained why he decided to join the Maratha Stallions for the upcoming campaign.
In a candid interview with Pranav Shahaney, the coach speaks about his plans, philosophy and other.
FCPC haven’t got the results past three seasons, as a head coach how you look at this challenge?
There is a big difference between what you want and what you get. I want results and have played football my entire life to get the results. Even if play with my children on a Sunday, I play to win. So I teach all my players to fight for victory.
Three seasons Pune haven’t got the right results, so it is difficult to get them immediately. But it takes a while to impart my mentality and philosophy to the players and to instill a winning mentality in them. It is impossible to turn around fortunes in such a short period of time.
How did you decide to join the FCPC?
When I was in Japan, Pune’s CEO Gaurav Modwel gave me a call and we spoke for two hours then he invited me to come to Pune.
Initially, I was taken back as I didn’t expect an offer to come my way, but after the phone call, I was convinced that it was the right decision for me.
I got an extremely positive impression from Modwel as we had similar outlooks on football. So, I felt it would be better to meet him in person, and I flew down to India to finalise the deal and manage the Pune team for season four.
FCPC have made a number of big name signings along with few youngsters. How you plan to manage this mixed team?
The players we have at FC Pune City are fundamental to what we want at the club. The foreign players that have come in must inspire the younger players, not only on the pitch but off it.
The youngsters can look up to them as model professionals and hope to get better under their tutelage. Experienced players know how to cope up under the pressure and also have an understanding of how to keep the right attitude regardless of what the results are.
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FC Pune City have the best attack on paper in Indian Super League: Marcelinho
FC Pune City’s Indian Super League (ISL) journey so far hasn’t been the most rewarding. In the three seasons, they have had three different managers and never made it to the knockout phase. But Pune City’s new acquisition, Marcelinho, is confident of the team making the final in the upcoming edition.
Marcelinho, whose goal-scoring exploits at Dehli Dynamos won him the Golden Boot, is joined at Pune by the league’s third highest goal-getter last year -- Emiliano Alfaro. With 15 goals together in the previous season, Alfaro and Marcelinho are being dubbed as the most dangerous attacking duo in the league this season.
Joining Marcelinho from the capital club are midfielders Kean Lewis and Marcos Tebar.
“If you look at the players in the Pune side this year -- Alfaro, Marcos and I, we all understand Indian football so we have that slightly added pressure to carry Pune to the finals. But personally, I am very positive about the team reaching the finals this season,” said Marcelinho.
Marcelinho also believes that Pune boast of the best attack on paper, but that can only transition into the league’s top attacking outfit on the pitch, if the whole team is able to link up.
“I think Elfaro is a very intelligent player, Kean as well. We know each other from last year. I think we are very fast and strong offensively,” he said.
“On paper I think we have the best attack. But like the coach said, you don’t always get what you want. Of course we will do our best but the team is not just the attackers. If we are connected as a team we will surely be the best attacking side in the league.”
Pune City’s manager, Ranko Popovic, on the other hand, is looking to use his role for a dual purpose: firstly, to promote the ‘beautiful game’ in the country and leave the fans satisfied with the quality of football exhibited by Pune. Secondly, and more importantly, to inculcate a winning mentality into his team as Pune seek their first title.
“We want to try to play nice clean football. We want to leave the fans satisfied because football is a nice and beautiful game. So if we try and destroy it, it’s not acceptable. We are here to promote this game in India, and we must make it attractive,” said Popovic throwing some light on Pune City’s approach this season.
When asked about facing pressure from the management, given their lack of trust in managers over the years Popovic said: “If there is a big gap between your target and eventual result then you have a problem. But one must be realistic in your approach. Of course I want to win, all my life I have played to win, even if I play against my kids I want to win, or teach them how to win. This is what I want to teach my boys.”
FC Pune City host Delhi Dynamos in their first game of the season on November 22. For Marcelinho, Kean Lewis and Marcos Tebar, it will be an emotional opening game, as they look to get their campaign up and running against their old club. But Marcelinho admitted that he would be happy to score against Delhi because it is his job.
“Delhi Dynamos were my first team here in India. But with another team it’s a new beginning and I will celebrate because my team deserves it. Switching teams is a part of professional football,” said the Brazilian.
ISL 2017: FC PUNE CITY’S MARCELINHO - THE INDIAN CONTINGENT IN PUNE IS IMPRESSIVE
FC Pune City have a proven goal scorer in their ranks this season in Marcelinho. The former Delhi Dynamos attacker admitted that he enjoyed his stint with the Lions but now it’s time to help the Orange and Purple brigade make it into their first ever play-offs.
“I started my ISL journey with Delhi and I won the Golden Boot award. However, we are professional footballers and we start new journeys with new teams often. I will miss my Delhi days but I will be playing with Pune now and so my focus will be on my current team,” he stated.
He hailed the impact coach Ranko Popovic is having on the team since taking charge from Antonio Lopez Habas.
“I’m happy to be a part of FC Pune City and really looking forward for season four of the ISL. The team is gelling up well and we are trying our level best to fulfill the expectation of our head coach.
“The pre-season is going well. Our coach is leaving no stone unturned to train the team.”
Marcelinho is impressed with the Indian players at Pune City such as the likes of Kean Lewis, Vishal Kaith and more.
“The Indian players in the squad are really impressive. They have an urge to grow in the game and we often help each other while training. We have some youngest Indian players in the squad playing ISL for the first time but they have so much passion about the game that they apply those leanings while we train.”
FC Pune City faces Delhi Dynamos at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune on November 22 in their first ISL game this season.
ISL 2017: FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC - THERE IS A LONG BREAK BEFORE THE ISL STARTS
FC Pune City coach Ranko Popovic raised a pertinent question about Indian football’s calendar. He mentioned that the long break for the players before the Indian Super League (ISL) begins isn’t ideal.
The I-League ended back in April last year and the Indian footballers haven’t had competitive football action for the last six months or so.
“I’m positively surprised with the talent and organization here. What is a matter of concern is the break from which they come back to play ISL as it’s a long one. It’s normal here but for me it’s not because in Europe you may have about a month long break.
“But I’ve to adapt myself to the circumstances and work around the guys accordingly. The good part is that there is big space for development and the players are eager to learn so it’s good. We are here to help all the players in a way that eventually it also helps to raise the level of football in India,” said the 50-year-old.
The Orange and Purple outfit haven’t made it into the knockout stages even once in three seasons. Popovic’s immediate task would be to ensure that they make the cut this time around.
“What I want my team to do is to try and fight till the end. I think that’s the honest way to express our loyalty to the club, to the people and the supporters of this club. If we happen to lose during the course, at least no one will be unhappy with the performance as everyone will say these guys are doing all what they can do,” said the former Buriram United coach.
Pune have several young players in their squad this season and Popovic mentioned that he isn’t shy from fielding them in his first eleven. He pointed that it’s the quality of the player which matters as opposed to his age.
“Of course the youth team players have done well, but I don’t like to look at my team which has young and old players. Quality is most important, whether it’s a young or an old player. If he doesn’t have the quality why bring him in and break his confidence while playing quality opponents? For roping in young players, we must be very careful about the timing of introducing them into main teams.
“The team must be ready to accept young players and protect them in a way that they are developed in the right way. If you rope a young player too early, maybe that may not help him in the longer run and may become the worst moment of his career. It’s a very sensitive part of our job. I like young players but the important thing is to educate them about the pressures of playing in the main team, how to play the game at this level, for which he may not be at his best potential. It’s an education for them for the entire season and not for one particular match,” he explained.
Kean Lewis Doesn't Regret Leaving Leicester City to Play in India
Kean Lewis was in demand during the ISL draft and FC Pune City picked him. (News18 Sports)
The 25-year-old was selected to train with Leicester City when he was just 14 and was part of the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA).
"I started taking football seriously when I was 12, I enrolled in the PIFA and the owners were impressed with me, and I was sent to train with Leicester City. I was staying with the U-18 boys in the hostel and used to train with the U-14s and U-16s," Lewis tells News18.
He impressed the coaches at Leicester who wanted him to stay but that would have meant that his parents would have also had to move to the United Kingdom since Lewis was a minor at that time.
However, Lewis came back and joined the Mahindra Football Academy before eventually joining the Tata Football Academy, which is the most prestigious academy in India.
"TFA remains the best academy for football in India. You play, sleep, eat football there. It's run professionally. 80% of the players who were with me now ply their trade in ISL or I-League," Lewis, says talking about the TFA.
The Maharashtra lad went to United States to further hone his skills before Kolkata Giants Mohun Bagan came knocking on the doors for the attacker.
"I consider myself fortunate to play in both the ISL and the I-League. I started in the Calcutta League but unfortunately was second in the line behind Sony Norde when it came to the I-League but it was a great learning experience."
Then, ISL happened and Lewis was signed by the Delhi Dynamos in 2016 where he was one of the most impressive players in the league.
Lewis played on the wings and formed a lethal trio with Marcelinho and Richard Gadze. He scored 4 goals in 14 appearances and had a couple of assists to his name. Many expected him to make cut for the Indian squad but the call never came.
"I am not in touch with anyone the Indian national team, I just want to focus on my training. It (India call-up) is all about the timing and it’s going to happen when the time is right," Lewis says talking about representing India.
The pacy winger was in demand during the ISL draft picked up by FC Pune City and Lewis is delighted to be closer to home with his family and friends.
"It has been fairly easy to settle here, my family lives close by. I have got friends in the city. In Delhi, I used to just stay in the hotel," he says.
Lewis was also all praise for the setup at FC Pune City and said that he will have a different role this year as compared to his role in Dynamos which bought him to everyone's attention.
"We have been training well and working hard. I am comfortable playing on the wings but I will have a slightly different role here, I will be focussing on the defensive duties too as this is a different setup."
FC Pune City remains the only club which has never made it to the top 4 but Lewis remains optimistic about his side's chances.
"We are training well and have had a pre-season in India to adjust to the conditions. We have played a couple of friendlies but the real test will come once the season starts. I feel we have the team that can make it to the finals," Lewis says about the team.
He also voiced support for a combined ISL and I-League with more teams as that would be something beneficial for both the players and the country.
"Ideally, one 9-10 month league with 18 teams would be perfect. That means the players will also be employed for a longer time and the Indian setup will also have close to 360-400 players," Lewis signed off.
Indian Super League is well organised league, says FC Pune City's coach Ranko Popovic
With the fourth season of Indian Super League around the corner, FC Pune City's coach Ranko Popovic feels that Indian football is heading in the right direction and the star-studded ISL is very well organised league and has a lot of potential.
The fourth season of Indian Super League gets underway on Friday with last year runner-ups Kerala Basters set to host champions ATK in their backyard.
"I have been in India for a month and it is enough time to see few things out. Indian football or football of any other country can improve if you handle problems right way. Solve the problems step by step and it will deliver results," Ranko Popovic told exclusively to Sportswallah.
"The positive thing is that there is a huge amount of room to improve as all these players love their game and want to train regularly and have a positive attitude. If you do things in a hurry then from outside it will be nice but it can ruin from inside. India is now the country who is taking their football seriously and are going in the right direction."
"The Indian Super League is a well-organised league and is just three years old so the direction in which it is going is correct but at the same time there are problems and it should be solved step by step and Indian football can go long way," he added.
Despite praising the league, Ranko Popovic was not happy with Indian football's calendar. The I-League ended back in April last year and the Indian footballers haven’t had competitive football action for quite a long time now.
"For me, this is the biggest problem. There has been a very long break and many of them were not at all fit and were not doing any kind of exercise. They were not fit which one needs to meet the criteria for professional players and once we started training we had to be careful because you have to avoid injuries. So we had to reduce the timings of sessions and bring them to the required level."
"It was a new challenge for me but club and player were helpful in terms of communication and fortunately we detected this problem early. We are getting better and we are coming to the level we want. But it's not easy and it's a natural process - so we have to take things step by step. Mental fitness is also important and that helps them to perform up to the mark during the match," former Real Zaragoza coach said.
FC Pune City hasn't made it into the knockout stages even once in three seasons and when asked about how the preparations are going on, Popovic was wary to discuss his plans ahead of the season.
"I would not like to talk about the preparations at the moment as we are just a few days away from the start of the Championships. I want some more time as there was a long break for the players."
"But I won't say that we are not ready and other teams feel confident ahead of facing us - we are ready for the Indian Super League. But we are few training sessions away for the players to reach full fitness level. A couple of more sessions and the fitness level will be what I am looking forward to," he told Sportswallah.
yes this is crucial
ISL 2017: Ranko Popovic, the man to turn tables around at FC Pune City?
Having been appointed as the coach of Indian Super League (ISL) franchisee FC Pune City, Ranko Popovic comes to India with a huge task in hand. Following fruitless stints in three years, under three different managers – Franco Colomba, David Platt and Antonio Lopez Habas – the Stallions are aiming to taste silverware now that they have got the Serbian tactician on board.
When questioned about the pressure to extract results given the demands of the management, Ranko Popovic clearly puts forward his goals.
“One thing is what you want, other thing is what you get. If there is a big gap between these two things, you have three times the problem. You must be realistic about what you can get. There have been no results in 3 years and you want it now in 30 days? No! You first have to make the base for this through training, building strong mentality and other factors.”
“When you have an idea and a philosophy, you need to start from scratch. You have to build the foundation and then it’s easy to build what you want. I have played football all my life to win and I want my boys to learn the same,” the 50-year-old said during a media interaction here.
Popovic knows how cruel the sport can be to managers. Slavoljub Muslin, former coach of Serbia, was ousted by the national team despite leading them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“In my modest opinion, the way managers are getting sacked without any respect these days is very terrible for football. Muslin is my friend and I’m happy not only for him, but for the national team. He knows what’s happened there but you cannot reach somewhere if you change managers day-to-day or year-to-year. You must have some way and you must devote some time. Things will click at the right moments, but it’s difficult for teams to know this,” the former Buriram United boss asserted.
With the Maharashtra outfit failing to qualify for the knockout stages in the past, Popovic will be raring to reach that mark in the upcoming season.
ISL: Fanai, Isaac look to make a mark with FC Pune City
PUNE: Two of the many new faces of FC Pune City this season - Isaac Vanmalsawma and Lalchhuanmawia Fanai - are raring to make a mark in the fourth edition of the Indian Super League(ISL).While Fanai has the ISL experience playing for Mumbai City FC, Isaac will make his debut in the tour as he enters the field donning the FC Pune City jersey.
FC Pune City begin their season against Delhi Dynamos FC on November 22 in Pune and Marcelinho and Marcos Tebar will look to turn the tables on their former sides.
Fanai believes the foreigners in the team have been very impressive and bring a lot of experience to the side.
"They guide us during our training sessions and ensure we grow in our game every passing day, something that our coach also emphasises on," said the left back.
Making his pro debut in 2012-13 I-League season for Shillong Lajong, Fanai moved to Bengaluru FC in 2014-15 season when the club won Federation Cup and finished second in the I-League.
Similarly, Isaac began his professional career with Shillong Lajong in 2015. His exploits in the midfield for Shillong Lajong last season prompted India coach Stephen Constantine to invite him for the national camp for the Asian Cup qualifiers.
"As this is my first ISL, for me getting an opportunity to play will be my first aim. If I play, I will make sure I play better than what I have played in past every single time I enter the pitch.
"Everyone in the team is also aiming to do the same so that we can achieve our goals because it will be the overall team's performance and not of any individual that will make a difference," explained Isaac.
I teach all my players to fight for victory, says FC Pune City coach ahead of ISL
The newly-appointed FC Pune City head coach Ranko Popovic has praised club CEO’s persistence in luring him to the club and managing in the Indian Super League for the first time.
The Serbian head coach has managed in Spain, Japan and Thailand and he will bring a certain continental taste to the table for FC Pune City.
Popovic has been a firm believer in playing beautiful football and is known to be an adept man manager. Season four will be his first in India and believes the Pune outfit has what it takes to ruffle a few feathers.
While they may not be the most attractive destination in the ISL, Popovic explained why he decided to join the Maratha Stallions for the upcoming campaign.
In a candid interview with Pranav Shahaney, the coach speaks about his plans, philosophy and other.
FCPC haven’t got the results past three seasons, as a head coach how you look at this challenge?
There is a big difference between what you want and what you get. I want results and have played football my entire life to get the results. Even if play with my children on a Sunday, I play to win. So I teach all my players to fight for victory.
Three seasons Pune haven’t got the right results, so it is difficult to get them immediately. But it takes a while to impart my mentality and philosophy to the players and to instill a winning mentality in them. It is impossible to turn around fortunes in such a short period of time.
How did you decide to join the FCPC?
When I was in Japan, Pune’s CEO Gaurav Modwel gave me a call and we spoke for two hours then he invited me to come to Pune.
Initially, I was taken back as I didn’t expect an offer to come my way, but after the phone call, I was convinced that it was the right decision for me.
I got an extremely positive impression from Modwel as we had similar outlooks on football. So, I felt it would be better to meet him in person, and I flew down to India to finalise the deal and manage the Pune team for season four.
FCPC have made a number of big name signings along with few youngsters. How you plan to manage this mixed team?
The players we have at FC Pune City are fundamental to what we want at the club. The foreign players that have come in must inspire the younger players, not only on the pitch but off it.
The youngsters can look up to them as model professionals and hope to get better under their tutelage. Experienced players know how to cope up under the pressure and also have an understanding of how to keep the right attitude regardless of what the results are.