Mohammedan SC finished runners-up in the 2021-22 edition of the I-League, playing some fantastic football over the season and being only a victory away from clinching the coveted crown in the final fixture of the league.
The man leading them from the touchline was Russian Andrey Chernyshov, who will once again be at the helm as the Kolkata side gets set for the 2022-23 season.
We caught up with Chernyshov for a quick chat as the start of the new season beckons on November 12.
EXCERPTS:
The new I-League season is almost here. How have your preparations been going?
A. We are looking forward to the start of the I-League. The preparations and training are coming along well and the team is in excellent shape. Our leaders have created excellent conditions for us to prepare for the league. We have played in the Durand Cup, we’re currently playing in the Calcutta Football League and we have been playing a few friendly matches as well.
How do you look ahead to the new campaign?
All of us are looking forward to the start of the new season. Our team wants to fight for victory in the Hero I-League. We want to show interesting, aggressive football that the fans like.
After two seasons, we are finally coming back to the traditional home and away format, and all teams will get the chance to play in front of their fans. How important is the fans’ contribution?
It is very good that the fans will be able to attend the games at the stadiums. All players want to play in stadiums where there are fans, in order to feel their support. Our fans are very important to us. These are the best fans in India.
Your squad is an interesting mix of youth and experience. How important is it to have the correct balance?
It’s good when the team has a union of experienced and young players. This is important in order to show interesting football for the supporters. We hope that many of our players will perform well in the new season and showcase their true potential.
What are your expectations and targets for the coming season?
My philosophy is that if you start playing in some tournament, you should try to win it. We will try to do our job well and try to achieve high results.
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