Chennaiyin FC kick-start their Hero Indian Super League title defence against Atlético de Kolkata at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday. It promises to be an exciting game of football as ATK look to avenge the heartbreak of their dramatic semi-final exit at the hands of Chennaiyin FC last year.
The southern-outfit, on the other hand, will be going into the match with the defeat they suffered in the season opener last year preying on their minds. Chennaiyin head coach Marco Materazzi will also have to deal with the tag of the hunted after being part of the chasing pack last season. However, the Italian was quick to play down any speculation of the added pressure that comes along with being reigning champions.
“So this is a new year. We start from zero. All teams start from zero with the same budget…Everything is new this year and everybody starts from zero. So there is no extra pressure,” said the former World Cup-winning Azzurri defender.
In spite of losing three out of four meetings between the two sides last year, Chennaiyin FC, in the larger picture, got the best result courtesy of their 3-0 semi-final win against ATK in the first leg, which proved to be decisive. The new season, however, will see the Super Machans take the field without their top-scorers from the previous two seasons in Elano and Stiven Mendoza. When pressed on if the absence of the Golden Boot winners from Hero ISL 2014 and Hero ISL 2015 will have any bearing on their campaign, Materazzi insisted that football is a team game and not about individuals.
“First of all, I’m happy to be here for the third year and I’m proud to be here. Every year you start again and for me there is no key player, there is only the team. Last year, we have shown we can be a strong team. I want to thank all the players that were there with me last year, particularly Bruno Pelissari, but as I said, every year is different. We will start this adventure again with new players and what matters actually is the team, and there are no key players,” he said.
Also, all eyes will be on Jeje Lalpekhlua in Hero ISL 2016 in the absence of their top-scorers from the last two seasons. Jeje, who is touted as Indian football’s hottest property, is also the highest scoring Indian in the league with 10 goals. When asked for his thoughts on Lalpekhlua, Materazzi was effusive in his praise, labelling the 25-year-old striker as the ‘best player’ in India. “I think Jeje should not just be the best striker, he should be the best player of India. And I’m not just saying this because we have him on our team. He really is a really, really good player. His growth was amazing, and over two years unbelievable. He is a very important player for me but also for India as well. And he is an icon that can help develop football in India,” he said.
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