Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 7 : Mohammedan SC head coach Andrey Chernyshov cleared the club's ambition and stated that they are in the Indian Super League (ISL) to win, not just "participate.".
After a decade-long absence, Mohammedan SC have returned to the top flight of Indian football. Their impressive I-League campaign last season under Russian coach Andrey Chernyshov has set high expectations as they enter the ISL full of excitement and ambition.
Chernyshov's team showcased exceptional football in the I-League last season, and their fans are hopeful for similar performances in the ISL.
The journey ahead, however, is expected to be tough. Despite this, the coach remained confident in his squad's ability to compete at the highest level.
Fans are also eagerly anticipating the Mini-Kolkata derbies against East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where the teams will vie for bragging rights. Chernyshov has reflected on the importance of these matches, drawing from his own experiences.
"These are big matches, derbies. As a player, I played in major derbies in Russia, so I understand this feeling. These are not just normal matches; they are special. We have many supporters, just like them. After these matches, all the fans want to be able to say that we are the best team in Kolkata. They want to say, Kolkata is Black and White," Chernyshov mentioned in an exclusive interview with indiansuperleague.com during Media Day in Kolkata.
"These derbies are great for Kolkata football and Indian football. However, we also need to be prepared for the other matches because we aren't playing just derbies," he added.
The Mohammedan SC squad, with its blend of experienced foreigners and young Indian talent, shows great promise.
They have been training hard over the past month, and the coach has expressed satisfaction with the team's preparation thus far. However, he also admitted that there is still much to learn about the team's true strength in the ISL.
"I'm very happy with my players, not just the new foreign signings but also the young Indian footballers. However, at this moment, we don't yet know where we stand. We need to play a few ISL matches before truly understanding how strong our team is. In practice, you can see that we're good and capable of competing for the top spot. But we will only see whether we're truly strong in actual competitive matches," he added.
The competition in the league will become even tougher, with 13 teams now battling for the top six playoff spots. The Russian tactician recognised the formidable nature of the ISL but remained determined to make his mark in the debut campaign.
"The ISL is a very strong league, one of the strongest in Asia. I can't say yet whether we'll compete for first place or another position in the table. We need to gain ISL experience and get a feel of the competition here. However, what I can promise our supporters is that we'll fight in every game and strive to play good football in every match," he noted.
The coach concluded with a clear ambition for the season and said, "We are not in the league just to participate. We want to win matches, as is expected of professional players. We will strive to achieve many good things this season."
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