Bangalore: I-League football side Bengaluru FC on Friday signed sports performance coach Malcolm Purchase and goalkeeping coach Ali Uzunhasanoglu until the end of the current season.
Purchase has been in the sports performance and nutrition field for the last three decades that include two decades with UK Athletics. Turkish Uzunhasanoglu has been coaching in the United Kingdom for the last 20 years.
“I had a few offers in England, one of them from a Premier League club. But I gave Ashley (Westwood) my word and I wouldn’t come here if I couldn’t make a difference,” said Purchase, who started out with Wrexham FC while his last club in England was Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Purchase has been in Bangalore for the last six weeks and hasn’t wasted time conducting new age tests on the boys along with bringing about a change in the dietary habits.
“Everything used at Bengaluru FC is EPL standard. All the equipment for testing is up there with the best. We are still two or three levels away from where we want to on the fitness front,” he said.
Uzunhasanoglu has spent 15 years as a player in Turkey before marriage took him to England where he had been coaching all the while. (IANS)
