Kolkata: The much-awaited Indian Super League is all set to kickstart at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, here on October 12 with the home team taking on Mumbai in the inaugural match.
“We are all ready for the start to this great tournament and are very excited about the first match against Mumbai,” said Harsh Neotia, co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata.
Neotia also revealed the list of Indian players, which the franchisee has recruited for the two-month long tournament.
“Our contingent will comprise of Sanju Pradhan, Kingshuk Debnath, Lester Fernandez, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Baljit Sahni, Climax Lawrence, Nalappan Mohanraj, Arnab Mondal, Mohammed Rafi, Mohammed Rafique, Rakesh Masih, Cavin Lobo, Biswajit Saha and Denzil Franco,” he said.
Neotia also informed that the team will play four friendly matches in Spain and will also have a month-long pre season training beginning next week in Spain at the Los Angeles de San Rafael training ground in El Espinar, Segovia, the same facility used by the Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
“The Indian players will leave on August 25 and they will be joined by International recruits including marquee player Luis Garcia in the first week of September,” he said.
“We will give them world class facility and physical training in La Liga methodology. The stress is to build a better team,” head coach Antonio Lopez Habas and physical coach Miguel Martinez told reporters.
Atletico de Kolkata also announced the names of goalkeeper Basilio Sancho, defender Ofentse Nato and midfielder Fikru Teferra in addition to the seven international players who were picked in Thursday’s draft.
