The Chennaiyin head coach is prepared to help his players focus on their objectives in Goa…
Chennaiyin head coach Csaba Laszlo believes the mentality of footballers will be put to the test during the upcoming season of Indian Super League which is set to be played in Goa.
The seventh edition of the competition will be played at a centralised venue amid the Coronavirus pandemic and the newly-appointed Hungarian coach is ready for a fresh challenge during a troubled period.
In an Instagram chat with Apollo Sports, Laszlo said, “If you stay together for six months and cannot go out, the mentality is the challenge. You face sadness, the attitude drops, so the most important will be how you manage to keep everybody happy and get everyone to focus on the training. For the players, I must be the wife, mother, father, friend and the coach. In my mind, I am already prepared. On the positive side, we don’t have to travel and recovery time will be lesser.”
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Laszlo feels privileged to work with a club like Chennaiyin who are two-time winners of ISL. He believes he only needs to build on the solid foundation that has already been laid at the Chennai-based club.
“Chennaiyin is the most successful team in the ISL. There is pressure but this is nice, I have the privilege to coach a successful team. The most important thing I told Vita Dani (co-owner) and Amoy Ghoshal (Chief Technical Officer) is that the vision is already there.
“The club has reached a stage where we can say, we are Chennaiyin! I have to step in and follow what they have built up and add new stones to what has already been built.”
The head coach addressed the difficulties his team are facing due to the pandemic but reaffirmed that things are on the right track.
“It is not easy to do things virtually. But importantly we have zoom calls and have a fantastic internet connection. It is easier for us also to see and control the programmes even if we are not there. Everybody gets their individual training programmes.
“We want to win the league and be the champions. But we have to work very hard for this and we must be a little lucky to not have many injuries. (The target is to) reach the playoffs.”
Chennaiyin are yet to announce any of their new foreign signings and have seen last season’s Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis join Jamshedpur. However, Laszlo revealed that there will be good news for the fans soon.
“We are moving in the right direction. I hope we can announce a few players in the next few days. I know the team will be good and very competitive. We are talking with players who are good enough to play for the club.
“Everyone knows that there is a budget limit for the teams. We have to replace the number nine position, we are working on it. In the coming week, we can present two-three new names very soon.”
