Chennaiyin FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic says foreign players are integral to a club's success

Chennaiyin FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic is a man on a mission. Currently helming Chennai FC for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL), Bandovic seems to know how to steer the two-time ISL champions to glory for the third time.

Before signing for Chennaiyin FC, Bandovic plied his trade with the Thai Premier League coaching Buriram United. In 2018 he helped Buriram United become champions and also created records enroute –winning 87 points in one season and a record of 15 consecutive wins. His exploits also led to him winning the Thai Premier League coach of the year in 2018. He even coached his team in the AFC Champions League and also helped Buriram United win the Thailand Champions Cup in the subsequent year.

Bandovic, who is on a one-year contract with Chennaiyin FC, is keen to change the fortunes of the Chennai-based club. In a virtual media interaction, the head coach threw light on a variety of topics, including Chennaiyin FC’s new signings.

Read: Chennaiyin FC sign attacking midfielder Ninthoi Meetei

Bandovic believes Chennaiyin FC have a balanced squad with the right mix of youth and experience, going into the ISL. He said:

“We have a good balance between experience and young players. And of course, we have some domestic players who are at a very good level and can play for the national team too. So, at this moment, I believe that we have a good team. We need to work very hard. I believe it's me first then everybody that we have in the club, but it is always me first. I need to make sure the chemistry between the players is good and put them in their position (places) where they can give their maximum for the team.”

The head coach believes that foreign players should lead by example in the team, and that that would in turn help the younger domestic players improve – the reason why the league was conceptualized in the first place.

Talking about Chennaiyin FC’s foreign recruits, most of whom are playing in the ISL for the first time, Bandovic said:

“The foreign signings (of Chennaiyin FC) have quality and we choose the players with personality (that we need). We all know that foreigners need to make a difference in the league. They are experienced, they have played in different countries. So, I believe they will adapt very fast. We are in this as a team - from me to the domestic players and to the support staff. So, we will make a good group.”

The Chennaiyin FC head coach added that foreign recruits need to have a positive influence on the Indian players.

“I believe they (foreign players) need to have a positive influence on domestic players. This is very important to me. The way they want to play, the way they want to go about in training and be good with communication. This will help the domestic players. They are leaders, they need to have personality and character, which is very important.”

No need for a long pre-season, says Chennaiyin FC coach

The Chennaiyin FC head coach does not believe in a long pre-season, saying eight weeks is enough to keep the players fresh ahead of the ISL. The ISL season gets underway on November 19 in Goa.

"As a coach I don't agree with a long pre-season. I think eight weeks are enough to make them run for 90 minutes and be refreshed at the same time. We start the day with a zoom call and I get to understand the players well. We will start training on September 26. I spoke to the club about having six to seven friendly games. We need to see which teams are free and when it's good for them and us to play friendly matches."

Chennaiyin FC finished eighth in last season's ISL and a lot of blame was put on the strikers for not scoring enough goals. However, Bandovic is keen to change the script this season and hopes for a change in fortunes. He said:

“Looking at the numbers, the team did not score many goals. I believe that foreign players can score goals. We will try to work to make the change. It's not important who scores the goal. I want the team to win. I believe that we will be better this season.”

Chennaiyin FC head coach said the entire team, with the exception of Hungarian midfielder Vladimir Koman who is expected to arrive on Wednesday, are in Goa and in quarantine and said there are no injury worries for the team.

"All players are here in Goa. Our goalkeeper Samik Mitra has some flu. I was told he will be with us in a couple of days. (Lallianzuala) Chhangte is 99 percent fit and has only a small problem. He will only need two days to be fully fit and apart from this there are no injury concerns for the team.”

Chennaiyin FC head coach also revealed that Tamil Nadu player and midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh is not part of the pre-season camp.