The title winner of the inaugural season of the Indian Super League and the semi-finalist of the second edition, Atlético de Kolkata unveiled their official team jersey, a symbol of passion for the red and white fans and announced the start of their preparations for the upcoming third edition in style.
The team co-owner Mr. Sanjiv Goenkaintroduced newly appointed Head Coach José Molina, today and discussed the plans how the team is shaping up for the upcoming season of Indian Super League in 2016. The Atlético de Kolkata management was also represented by other co-owners in Mr. Harshavardhan Neotia and Mr. Utsav Parekh.
Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Co-owner, Atlético de Kolkata presented Kolkata’s new head coach on the occasion.
“I take this opportunity to welcome our Head Coach José Molina to Atlético de Kolkata family and believe that he is the right coach for the team. Molina will come with his wealth of technical and managerial experience as a player and coach which will be an asset for the players to learn and imbibe from and the team management to acquire the best possible team for the upcoming season.”
In building the squad for the upcoming edition of Indian Super League, Atlético de Kolkata has already signed up nineteen dynamic players which is a rich blend of both foreign and domestic players. From the Indian players, Atlético de Kolkata will have the services of experienced Arnab Mandal for the third time in the defence and has retained central midfielder Jewel Raja.
New additions like Shilton Paul, Debjit Majumder, Pritam Kotal, Bikramjit Singh, Kingshuk Debnath, Bidyananda Singh Ningthoujam, Bikash Jairu, Dika, Robert Lalthlanumna, Bidyananda Singh and Prabir Das, will append to the finesse on the pitch. The team has retained foreign players like Iain Hume, José Luis Espinosa Arroyo (Tiri), Sameehg Doutie and Ofentse Nato from the previous season and signed new players like Stephen Pearson, Dani Mallo and Pablo Zurera.
Molina, the team’s new head coach seemed enthusiastic about the challenges that lie ahead for him. “I am really excited to be part of Indian Super League and want to thank the management of Atlético de Kolkata for this great opportunity.ISL has put Indian Football on the global map and now the talent available here is being talked about in European and Asian countries.”
“My association with Atlético de Madrid had given me some of the most unforgettable moments in my career. Today, when I take charge as the Coach of Atlético de Kolkata I will be carrying forward a legacy and passion of fans. My role as a coach will be to develop the best bonding and understanding between the players who come with diverse background and experiences across the world. I am eager to get started and look forward to the season 3 of the tournament,” the Spaniard concluded.
Riding on the success of two seasons, this year also the team will gear up for the third edition of the Indian Super League with a month-long training camp in Spain. The training module will be designed to get the footballers in right physical shape to deal with the challenging season. Atlético de Kolkata would be training under Head Coach, José Molina. The team will depart end of August for the training session in Los Angeles de San Rafael training ground in El Espinar, Segovia, Spain.
The team’s new jersey seemed to be well thought of and had a motto behind it as well.
Philosophy of the New Team Jersey:
This is not just another jersey.
It’s our passion that we wear to the field.
The open wings that emerge from its chest manifest the immensity of our inner drive.
The vast spread of those wings from the core to the shoulders bears testimony to our relentless desire to fly high.
This is no ordinary uniform.
This is the force of a million unified.
The bold red stripes wrapping its body bring alive the fire burning bright within our ignited soul.
This isn’t a random number on a fabric.
This is what our fans see us in. Know us as.
The calming blues and the pristine white on its frame give the world a glimpse of our purity of purpose.
To the world, it may be just a jersey from outside.
To us, it’s who we are, from the inside.
