"We will do all our talking on the field," proclaims confident Ranko Popovic
Game 5 of the ISL will see FC Pune City begin their campaign with a home encounter against Delhi Dynamos. After a disappointing previous season, the Stallions are looking to finally make their mark in the league.
With a new coach in place and a tremendously talented squad at his disposal, this might be the season where FC Pune City announce themselves on the ISL stage. Ahead of tomorrow's matchup, manager Ranko Popovic looked confident in his pre-match press conference.
"The boys are ready. We have had a long preparation in training and in the practice games with the players now itching to get on the field. But this being the first game of the season, the players might have a nervy start," said Popovic.
Popovic also revealed that he does not believe in home or away advantage when asked about the benefits of starting the season at home. The Serbian was of the view that in order to make the fans happy, his team would have to get three points - both home and away. He said, "Our ideology won't change because of the stadium. It is good that we enjoy a good support at home but fighting for the badge and the club will be our top priority, irrespective of the stadium."
The Stallions boss said that a few of his players are carrying knocks ahead of the season opener and explained that the final call on the injured players' involvement would be taken tomorrow.
The manager was also asked about the rule of fielding six Indian players in the starting lineup instead of the AFC's rule of seven locals plus four foreigners. Popovic replied, "For me, it depends foremost on the quality of the players. The number may differ but if the quality is there, there is no need for any ruling of this sort."
RANKO POPOVIC - WE WILL DO EVERYTHING TO GET THREE POINTS
FC Pune City are back in action in the second round of Indian Super League (ISL) against ATK at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Following a heart-break 2-3 loss to Delhi Dynamos in their first game, Ranko Popovic is aiming for the maximum quota of points tomorrow.
"We will try win and get full three points. We want to play a good game. We will do everything to get 3 points. We are working hard. Nobody is favourites in this tournament. Tomorrow is a new day let's see what happens."
Popovic took up the responsibility of his side's defeat against Delhi Dynamos and said that he is open to suggestions from players with ISL experience.
"I don't want to blame any player. I am responsible first then the players. The defenders tried their best last game."
"I always like to take opinions from others. I take suggestions from the players who had played in the ISL last season. "
The Serbian coach refused to cast his judgement on the first round of games in ISL and instead stressed the importance of maintaining fitness throughout the season.
"I don't rate teams. I think the teams who will remain injury free have a good chance of winning the league. The league is long now so it is important to keep the players fit."
FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC - IT FELT LIKE PLAYING A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME
The Indian Super League (ISL) returned to the majestic Salt Lake Stadium after almost two years and FC Pune City made sure the home side ATK would have torrid memories of the day.
Beating the two-time ISL champions 4-1 at their own turf, the Stallions coach Ranko Popovic could not have been more delighted.
"I told this yesterday that we will try to play the same type of football. Last game we played well but didn't win. Today it was different. More compact. I told the boys to play as a unit. The second goal changed the game. They had scored two minutes before that. I didn't expect four goals but I am very happy," expressed the Serbian.
Brazilian attacker Marcelinho was involved in all four goals and the former Real Zaragoza boss was all praise for last season's Golden Boot winner. "Marcelinho played well and scored two goals only because of the team. He is, of course, one of the best players in the league. Last game his performance wasn't up to the mark but today he was great."
"When you win it's strategic when you lose it's not. The opportunity came and we got the three points. The key moment was Rohit's (Kumar) goal. I don't want to comment on ATK"
"They are a good side. They have won the title twice, we didn't. On the basis of one game, you cannot criticise them. Every game is different. They have sixteen more games like us. There is a lot of scope."
Lastly, Popovic was left amazed at the stadium and envied the support for the home side. "It is obviously nice winning 4-1. I was very excited about the ambience. I am jealous that I don't have such an amazing ambience (at home in Pune). The atmosphere was amazing. It was like playing a World Cup or a Champions League game."
FC Pune City claimed the bragging rights over Mumbai City FC after winning the first Maharashtra derby of the season in Pune. Mumbai took an early lead through Balwant Singh but it was Emiliano Alfaro’s brace in the second half that sealed the tie in favour of the home side.
Pune's coach Ranko Popovic was satisfied with his side's performance as they claimed the win in the dying stages of the game but was quite vocal regarding the issues surrounding the decisions taken by the referee.
"I don't want to comment about my colleague or the other side but it was clear to see who was the better team, it is my personal opinion but how I saw the match, Pune City was the team who made the chances and scored the goals"
"We were given many yellow cards before, I always try to be confident regarding my team, we try to play football without too many fouls and when we made some tactical fouls we are punished with a yellow card immediately. It is not our intention to play dirty, I'm really proud of my guys after going down we tried to take control and we tried to win, it's important because of the teamwork, it's not important how much you play but how you play," the coach said.
It was the third game in a row without a clean sheet for Pune City. The coach said he knew about the problems and that his side would try to make things better.
"We are working on it (clean sheets), before the goal we made some mistakes but after the win, I can say congratulations on the goal, it was a fantastic goal. If we had lost 1-0 I would still say it was a fantastic goal but I would not be happy," he said.
Pune's star man Alfaro lauded the team's comeback performance and said it was a sign of things to come.
"We are a team and we work altogether to find a way to win, even if sometimes we are not in a good position to win, today was an example of incredible teamwork and I feel it was key to today's win."
"This win is very good for our confidence, even when we were 1-0 down we tried to play our game, it is going to go step by step," said Alfaro.
FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC 'MOTIVATED' TO DEFEAT CHENNAIYIN FC
The Indian Super League (ISL) is in its fourth season and FC Pune City are yet to taste any sort of success against Chennaiyin FC. These two sides renew their rivalry on Sunday and Pune City's Ranko Popovic could not have been more excited to potentially break the record.
"That’s one more reason to be motivated. Whatever has happened in the past- you can use them to change and motivate yourself for tomorrow. The biggest motivation for us, however, has to be the three points and repeat another good game in front of our supporters. And also make the connection between the players and supporters stronger because we need to be together."
"I can talk about being on top of the table only after tomorrow’s game in which we must try to win. In any case, we cannot spend our energy now to think of the future; we need to focus on tomorrow’s game first", he said on the eve of the contest.
He added, "Of course going on the top of the table is a motivation. That’s the reason we are here. Now we have to go and give everything whatever we are learning together. We have to play and enjoy; the people also want to come and enjoy our play."
The Stallions have been playing home and away games alternatively and the travel seems to have taken a toll on the players.
"I’m not someone who rotates the squad but we have some problems in some players and this is difficult because when you play four games in eleven games and you have 14 matches ahead, so that’s nearly 30% of the matches in those days, which is too much"
"I’m not good at mathematics but if we can put all players tomorrow it will be good but there might be two-three players who won’t be able to play. We will wait for the medical reports. I’m sorry if I can’t repeat the same even if I like to do so. If I can’t repeat the same team, it will be a chance for other players," he confessed.
"First the players have to refresh their minds because this will be their fourth game in eleven days. Maybe somebody could be psychologically tired. Only if you are fresh, your body can work. I want them to have a strong mentality and good team spirit. If we do so, we are one strong team."
Interestingly, these two sides met in a closed-door friendly game during pre-season and the former FC Tokyo boss had a lot to learn from the experience. "We had played a training game against Chennaiyin [during pre-season]. They are very strong with a very good coach. They have a good bunch of players and also some very physically strong players. We aren’t specifically physically strong but we are mentally strong, I think," he concluded.
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"We will do all our talking on the field," proclaims confident Ranko Popovic
With a new coach in place and a tremendously talented squad at his disposal, this might be the season where FC Pune City announce themselves on the ISL stage. Ahead of tomorrow's matchup, manager Ranko Popovic looked confident in his pre-match press conference.
"The boys are ready. We have had a long preparation in training and in the practice games with the players now itching to get on the field. But this being the first game of the season, the players might have a nervy start," said Popovic.
Popovic also revealed that he does not believe in home or away advantage when asked about the benefits of starting the season at home. The Serbian was of the view that in order to make the fans happy, his team would have to get three points - both home and away. He said, "Our ideology won't change because of the stadium. It is good that we enjoy a good support at home but fighting for the badge and the club will be our top priority, irrespective of the stadium."
The Stallions boss said that a few of his players are carrying knocks ahead of the season opener and explained that the final call on the injured players' involvement would be taken tomorrow.
The manager was also asked about the rule of fielding six Indian players in the starting lineup instead of the AFC's rule of seven locals plus four foreigners. Popovic replied, "For me, it depends foremost on the quality of the players. The number may differ but if the quality is there, there is no need for any ruling of this sort."
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RANKO POPOVIC - WE WILL DO EVERYTHING TO GET THREE POINTS
FC Pune City are back in action in the second round of Indian Super League (ISL) against ATK at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Following a heart-break 2-3 loss to Delhi Dynamos in their first game, Ranko Popovic is aiming for the maximum quota of points tomorrow.
"We will try win and get full three points. We want to play a good game. We will do everything to get 3 points. We are working hard. Nobody is favourites in this tournament. Tomorrow is a new day let's see what happens."
Popovic took up the responsibility of his side's defeat against Delhi Dynamos and said that he is open to suggestions from players with ISL experience.
"I don't want to blame any player. I am responsible first then the players. The defenders tried their best last game."
"I always like to take opinions from others. I take suggestions from the players who had played in the ISL last season. "
The Serbian coach refused to cast his judgement on the first round of games in ISL and instead stressed the importance of maintaining fitness throughout the season.
"I don't rate teams. I think the teams who will remain injury free have a good chance of winning the league. The league is long now so it is important to keep the players fit."
FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC - IT FELT LIKE PLAYING A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME
The Indian Super League (ISL) returned to the majestic Salt Lake Stadium after almost two years and FC Pune City made sure the home side ATK would have torrid memories of the day.
Beating the two-time ISL champions 4-1 at their own turf, the Stallions coach Ranko Popovic could not have been more delighted.
"I told this yesterday that we will try to play the same type of football. Last game we played well but didn't win. Today it was different. More compact. I told the boys to play as a unit. The second goal changed the game. They had scored two minutes before that. I didn't expect four goals but I am very happy," expressed the Serbian.
Brazilian attacker Marcelinho was involved in all four goals and the former Real Zaragoza boss was all praise for last season's Golden Boot winner. "Marcelinho played well and scored two goals only because of the team. He is, of course, one of the best players in the league. Last game his performance wasn't up to the mark but today he was great."
"When you win it's strategic when you lose it's not. The opportunity came and we got the three points. The key moment was Rohit's (Kumar) goal. I don't want to comment on ATK"
"They are a good side. They have won the title twice, we didn't. On the basis of one game, you cannot criticise them. Every game is different. They have sixteen more games like us. There is a lot of scope."
Lastly, Popovic was left amazed at the stadium and envied the support for the home side. "It is obviously nice winning 4-1. I was very excited about the ambience. I am jealous that I don't have such an amazing ambience (at home in Pune). The atmosphere was amazing. It was like playing a World Cup or a Champions League game."
FC Pune City claimed the bragging rights over Mumbai City FC after winning the first Maharashtra derby of the season in Pune. Mumbai took an early lead through Balwant Singh but it was Emiliano Alfaro’s brace in the second half that sealed the tie in favour of the home side.
Pune's coach Ranko Popovic was satisfied with his side's performance as they claimed the win in the dying stages of the game but was quite vocal regarding the issues surrounding the decisions taken by the referee.
"I don't want to comment about my colleague or the other side but it was clear to see who was the better team, it is my personal opinion but how I saw the match, Pune City was the team who made the chances and scored the goals"
"We were given many yellow cards before, I always try to be confident regarding my team, we try to play football without too many fouls and when we made some tactical fouls we are punished with a yellow card immediately. It is not our intention to play dirty, I'm really proud of my guys after going down we tried to take control and we tried to win, it's important because of the teamwork, it's not important how much you play but how you play," the coach said.
It was the third game in a row without a clean sheet for Pune City. The coach said he knew about the problems and that his side would try to make things better.
"We are working on it (clean sheets), before the goal we made some mistakes but after the win, I can say congratulations on the goal, it was a fantastic goal. If we had lost 1-0 I would still say it was a fantastic goal but I would not be happy," he said.
Pune's star man Alfaro lauded the team's comeback performance and said it was a sign of things to come.
"We are a team and we work altogether to find a way to win, even if sometimes we are not in a good position to win, today was an example of incredible teamwork and I feel it was key to today's win."
"This win is very good for our confidence, even when we were 1-0 down we tried to play our game, it is going to go step by step," said Alfaro.
FC PUNE CITY'S RANKO POPOVIC 'MOTIVATED' TO DEFEAT CHENNAIYIN FC
The Indian Super League (ISL) is in its fourth season and FC Pune City are yet to taste any sort of success against Chennaiyin FC. These two sides renew their rivalry on Sunday and Pune City's Ranko Popovic could not have been more excited to potentially break the record.
"That’s one more reason to be motivated. Whatever has happened in the past- you can use them to change and motivate yourself for tomorrow. The biggest motivation for us, however, has to be the three points and repeat another good game in front of our supporters. And also make the connection between the players and supporters stronger because we need to be together."
"I can talk about being on top of the table only after tomorrow’s game in which we must try to win. In any case, we cannot spend our energy now to think of the future; we need to focus on tomorrow’s game first", he said on the eve of the contest.
He added, "Of course going on the top of the table is a motivation. That’s the reason we are here. Now we have to go and give everything whatever we are learning together. We have to play and enjoy; the people also want to come and enjoy our play."
The Stallions have been playing home and away games alternatively and the travel seems to have taken a toll on the players.
"I’m not someone who rotates the squad but we have some problems in some players and this is difficult because when you play four games in eleven games and you have 14 matches ahead, so that’s nearly 30% of the matches in those days, which is too much"
"I’m not good at mathematics but if we can put all players tomorrow it will be good but there might be two-three players who won’t be able to play. We will wait for the medical reports. I’m sorry if I can’t repeat the same even if I like to do so. If I can’t repeat the same team, it will be a chance for other players," he confessed.
"First the players have to refresh their minds because this will be their fourth game in eleven days. Maybe somebody could be psychologically tired. Only if you are fresh, your body can work. I want them to have a strong mentality and good team spirit. If we do so, we are one strong team."
Interestingly, these two sides met in a closed-door friendly game during pre-season and the former FC Tokyo boss had a lot to learn from the experience. "We had played a training game against Chennaiyin [during pre-season]. They are very strong with a very good coach. They have a good bunch of players and also some very physically strong players. We aren’t specifically physically strong but we are mentally strong, I think," he concluded.