Atlético de Kolkata’s near one-month preseason training in Spain concluded on Thursday, with the entire squad all set for their grand welcome in the ‘City of Joy’ on Saturday evening.
Before they start their journey for Kolkata on Friday, the entire Atlético de Kolkata contingent in Spain will be meeting the first team squad of Atlético de Madrid, who will pass on their best wishes.
The Atlético de Kolkata squad had been training at the high altitude of Atlético de Madrid’s Los Ángeles de San Rafael facility, 60km from Madrid, and played five practice games against local sides. They won three and drew two matches, scoring 16 goals, and thus completing an unbeaten pre-season in Spain.
The players were also part of a historic occasion last Saturday as the entire squad was presented to the crowd at the Estadio Vicente Calderón in Madrid during the halftime interval of the game between Atlético Madrid and Celta Vigo.
The Atlético de Kolkata players received a huge round of applause and that moment has further raised the morale of the group.
“We are one happy family of foreign and Indian players and after that unveiling at Atlético Madrid’s stadium, the boys have received a further boost. The players, especially the domestic ones, profited from training in the top-class facilities. Their fitness levels are much better now and will further improve as we continue the preparations after returning to Kolkata,” said assistant coach Rajat Ghosh Dastidar from Spain.
No other Hero Indian Super League (ISL) club trained for this long outside India, so Atlético de Kolkata certainly enjoyed the best possible preparation ahead of the ISL’s inaugural season, which starts on October 12 with a fixture between Atlético de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
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