Indian football's new flag bearer, the Indian Super League, is set to kick off on Sunday at the revered Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with a mouth-watering first game between home team Atletico de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC.
Ahead of the all important clash, the Sourav Ganguly-owned Atletico de Kolkata's Spanish coach Antonio Lopes Habas played down the pressure of first game in front of the home crowd and said he would rather take that as an advantage.
When asked about playing the opener in front of a near 100,000 and demanding Kolkata fans, Habas said: "I don't see it as a pressure. I would prefer playing the first game at home. The city's support is crucial for us. The entire is team is well prepared and all the boys are in good shape," he said at the pre-match press conference at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
Habas, who has over 20 years of coaching experience, predominantly in Spain, said he would not enforce the Tiki-Taka style on his players and want the team to develop its own style of play.
"I want Kolkata to play in its own style. I want to build them their own style of play," said Habas, who has had managerial stints with clubs like Sevilla and Murcia in the La Liga.
When asked whether the absence of Mumbai City FC's star player Nicolas Anelka in the Sunday's opener would act as an advantage for them, Habas said his team is prepared to play against any opponent and the former French international's absence will not make any difference to them.
Anelka is serving a ban for making a controversial gesture while playing in the English Premier League (EPL).
"Anelka or no Anelka, it doesn't really make a difference to us. We have our own team and it doesn't matter whether he plays or not. Our team is fully ready and we need all the three points."
Former Real Madrid player Borja Fernandez, who will now be the in-charge of Kolkata's midfield, said he is looking forward to the new experience. "India loves football and the country has a lot of future in the sport. We have been living here for quite some time now and we have seen a lot of improvements. Hope things would be even better in the future," said Borja, who opted for a first move overseas in his career after playing 13 years in Spain.
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