FC Pune City goalkeeper Edel Bete is aiming for a rare hat-trick not just in the Indian Super League but also probably in world football.
Bete won the inaugural edition of the Hero ISL with Atletico de Kolkata and then switched over to Chennaiyin FC where he won the title there as well under the leadership of coach Marco Materazzi. He was an important member of both title-winning teams and now having moved to FC Pune City, looks forward to their first title and his third. Coincidentally, ATK's coach for the first two seasons Antonio Habas has also moved to FC Pune City for the ISL 2016 season and this season, in a way, is a new home coming for Bete to join his first coach in ISL.
Should the Armenian goalkeeper succeed with FC Pune City, a team which has not qualified for the semi-finals in last two seasons, he will be the first player to win three successive titles with three different teams in the same league, something that no footballer probably has achieved in the past.
Bete is excited and aware of the rare feat he could possibly achieve this season.
“Yes, absolutely. I hope along with FC Pune City we are third time lucky. That’s the goal for me,” said Bete when asked whether he was aiming for a hat-trick.
“I am at a stage in my career where taking up new challenges is my motivation. Both Atletico de Kolkata and Chennaiyin FC were great experiences. I wanted to continue my pursuit for a new challenge,” said the star goalkeeper.
The former PSG goalkeeper was being targeted by a host of teams in this edition of the ISL but his decision to move to FC Pune City was influenced by coach Antonio Lopez Habas. Bete trained under Habas in the first edition and when the Spanish coach summoned him, it was hard to turn down the invitation.
“His style of coaching is something that’s made a great impression on me. Besides the club, it’s critical for a player to know who the manager would be. So having Habas along with a thoroughly professional and ambitious club like FC Pune City just made it easier to decide. Habas is someone I trust in and he told me that FC Pune City is the club to be with,” said Bete, who has represented Israeli champions Hapoel Tel Aviv from 2011-2013, multiple times.
Bete admitted he had a fantastic time with both his previous teams and is spoilt for choice when asked to pick a couple of unforgettable memories.
“The 83rd-minute save in the final to deny Kerala Blasters an advantage after which a last-minute goal by Mohammed Rafique gave us the win is something I will cherish the most from the first season. And mind you I was injured in that game and could not kick the ball with my right leg. Last season, when I was playing for Chennaiyin FC against ATK in the semi-finals, I made some crucial saves which I was happy about,” said the goalkeeper who has played for French giants PSG in the past.
“My experience in ISL has been great. Because this is a shorter league, it is much more intense and therefore being match-ready and fit all the time is a great challenge, something I have relished and want to continue doing,” said Bete.
Nobody knows about winning titles and staying fit better than Bete in the ISL. As he prepares to give FC Pune City a reason to smile for the first time, rival teams will approach this season with some trepidation.
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