Exclusive Interview with Chennaiyin FC's Elano Blumer: "I don't mind being benched"

There was a slump for Chennaiyin midway through the season. Is there any specific reason that you would attribute that to?

A drop in form is a common occurrence in football. So, we always knew that it was only going to take one game to turn things around. The game against NorthEast [in Guwahati], was unfortunate.

We had two good wins in Goa and Mumbai leading up to that game, and because of a few reasons, we did not win the game. If we had won that, we’d have carried momentum into the subsequent games, and maybe we would be in a completely different situation right now.

What sort of relationship do you share with Marco Materazzi?

Normal, nothing different from what I have had with any other manager. He is new to the coaching role, and he is always learning. He has his own methods and knows his players very well. With my experience, I have been trying to help him, on and off the pitch in whatever way possible.

There are 5 Brazilians in the Chennaiyin squad. Does that help?

Obviously, it is of great help. All of us share a wonderful friendship, and it is definitely a great help when we play together on the field. It has helped all of us settle in here, easily.

Speaking of Brazilians, you met the likes of Zico and Roberto Carlos in this tournament. How did you feel about that?

It was like meeting anyone, any normal person. Obviously, Zico and Roberto have their own stories and achievements, but at the end of the day, they are all people. So, it was completely normal.

You are well known for your free-kicks. Do you have a special training regime for that?

I train a lot in Brazil, take a lot of free-kicks. But here, the frequency of games is so high that I don’t get the time to practice. Free-kicks came naturally to me – it was God’s gift.

But, I have worked very hard on them to make sure I can be as good as I can. So, it has been a combination of being gifted and hard work, that has enabled me to get as good as I have.

What are your thoughts about the current Brazilian National Team?

Obviously, everyone is upset about what happened in the World Cup last year, but things like that happen in football. Even Argentina lost 6-1 to Bolivia – things like that are normal, I feel. But now, it is important that they work hard to bring the Brazilian team back to where it should be.

There are enough talented players in the country who are highly capable. I hope it will not be too long before Brazil is back on top of world football.

Thank you, Elano! It has been a pleasure talking to you.

Thank you very much!