THE BLOG BY CPD FOOTBALL | The World of Indian football and beyond by Chris Punnakkattu Daniel

NorthEast United coach César Farías: Kerala Blasters have a good team

NorthEast United FC press conference
NorthEast United FC press conference

Photo courtesy: NorthEast United FC

NorthEast United FC’s Head Coach César Farías addressed the pre-match press conference ahead of NEUFC’s first game of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) Season 2 campaign against Kerala Blasters FC. Both the teams will be looking to start the competition on the front foot by picking up a win at the rain-lashed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

The former Venezuelan national team coach stated that he was looking forward to the challenge that awaited him, “When we arrived here, we were aware of what awaited us. We have prepared extensively for it. All the players have worked hard and we feel we are well prepared going into the first game.” When asked about the whether conditions he thought that the heavy rain would hamper the team’s preparation, he was quick to reply that any professional football team should prepare for all eventualities, “This is football. You need to be prepared for any eventuality. Whether you are playing in high altitudes, or during snowfall or in the rain…you need to adapt without excuses. We will adapt and try our best.”

César also stressed on the fact the Indian boys in the side would play a big part throughout the course of the tournament ,”The Indian boys in the team have pleasantly surprised me with their quality. They have worked their socks off and will most certainly have a big impact on our campaign in terms of their contribution.” When quizzed about NEUFC’s custodian, TP Rehenesh, he lavished praised on the youngster from Kerala, “Rehenesh is an excellent goalkeeper who has a great future ahead of him. We are confident in his abilities.”

The one sour bit of news that the Head Coach had to break was the unavailability of marquee player Simão Sabrosa for the first two games, “Simão is suffering from a dead leg and will probably miss the first two games. We are taking precautionary measures but we are confident that he will be back fitter and stronger. We have excellent players who can take his place and help the team deliver.” He also stated that the team was not overconfident while taking on Kerala Blasters FC, “They are a team that reached the final last year. We will not be complacent. They have a good team, but we are confident with our preparations. We will take it step-by-step. First we want to qualify for the semi-finals and then think about reaching the finals.”

Former Fulham and Celtic striker Diomansy Kamara expressed his delight at being a part of the second season of the Hero ISL, “I am very happy to be here. I am enjoying being a part of this team. We are like a family. I am delighted to see the level of quality that the Indian boys have. Of course, we have a great international bunch with players like Simão. We have a great coach and we are confident of doing well this year.”