Interview: "I look forward to my role in Bangalore FC" - Sunil Chhetri, the new Bangalore FC recruit

Sunil Chhetri recently made his way back to the I-League after his stint in Portugal, with Sporting Lisbon B, and signed for the newly-formed Bangalore based club, Bengaluru FC. Sportskeeda jumped on this opportunity to talk to the captain of the Indian football team. Following are the excerpts from the interview:

So Sunil, how does it feel to be back in the I-league after having played abroad?

Mustafa (Ghouse) and Mandar (Tamhane) approached me a few months ago, but I told them I needed some time as I had to fix my release from Sporting (Lisbon). They were very patient and gave me a call after a month and a half.

Instead of saying that they wanted to sign me, all they told me is what they wanted to do here. And that’s all it took for me to say yes.

Coming here from Churchill, a club that I am emotionally attached to, wasn’t easy, especially as I would get to play in AFC tournaments for Churchill. But it’s the vision and the patience that they had that prompted me to come here (Bangalore FC). The complete set-up was ready before the players joined. All the players have to do now is come and train hard; everything else is taken care of.

And this just proves that they wanted to do things properly.

You are going to be the leader of the club now. So how are you looking forward to that role?

The whole team is young, but everyone is talented and everyone wants to improve. I already told the boys I don’t expect anything right now and that they should just keep working hard, follow the boss’s (Ashley) vision; as for the rest, we’ll see what happens.

When the gaffer knows what it so be done, and we all go according to his brains, everything is sorted. I look forward to my role in the club.

Is there a certain excitement as this team is new and untested?

Yes. I’m 28, and I’m excited. Everything is proper, and we already know what kind of training sessions we have to do. The lunch is fixed, the physios are fixed, there is a swimming pool, among other facilities. It’s a nice atmosphere and everyone is excited.

The only thing we have to worry about is the game. We just have to come and train hard.

You have trained under a lot of coaches, and now you’ll be training under Ashley Westwood. What is the difference between him and the rest of the coaches you have worked with?

Firstly, I’m a player, and I’m nobody to judge or comment on a coach. I respect every coach I played under and learnt a lot from them.

Ashley is a greatly experienced guy. He was a player before and understands everything. He has a great sense and understanding of football and wants to work really hard. It’s always good to have a great leader, and Ashley is a great leader.

What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

We are refraining from doing that (having expectations). We know we are a new team, but if we really work hard and listen to the coach, anything is possible. We cannot put targets in our mind as it doesn’t work that way. Planning short-term is easier and more achievable.

What do you think of the team that has been assembled so far?

The team is young, but very talented. All we are lacking is a little experience, but I think we can make up for it by working really hard. Even though this team is young, each player has been hand-picked by the coaches. Now it’s up to the players to repay the coaches’ faith.

How different is the set-up in Portugal as compared to Bangalore FC?

This is what we get there (Portugal) too. You have report to the ground one and a half hours before training, and stay an hour after training. A player should have breakfast an hour before training, and lunch an hour after. It is scientifically proven. Every top European club has the same set-up. This was one of the main reasons I came here.

You are the most senior member of this squad. Do you feel the weight of expectations?

I tend to keep away from the pressure. A lot of things are written about me, but I can’t let them affect me. All I am thinking about is scoring the next goal and doing my job.

I’ve heard a lot of good and bad things about myself over the years, and I don’t take it seriously any more.

What do you think of Bangalore?

I love Bangalore. It’s got great weather which is very conducive for training. The people too are extremely supportive. I don’t like the traffic though.

Through this interview, I want to tell the people of Bangalore to come and support this young team, as all of us are going to give our best.