“Trophies in the past don’t matter; you are only as good as your last game”, says NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali

Kolkata:-we did in the Durand Cup! But, now, we look forward to the ISL and there’s another story that’s waiting for us in the coming season. Trophies in the past don’t make you play better. You are only as good as your last game,” Benali mentioned.

Jamshedpur FC’s Khalid Jamil praised the ISL for bringing in new rules, such as the introduction of the concussion substitute, mandating an AFC Pro License holding (or equivalent) Indian assistant coach, amongst others. Considering that he is one of the two Indian head coaches in the ISL along with Thangboi Singto of Hyderabad FC, Jamil said, “These new rules will help in the development of Indian football. We shall study it in detail and see how they could help us benefit during the course of the season as well.”

For Punjab FC, they have a new coach at helm in Greek tactician Panagiotis Dilmperis. The team has made some smart acquisitions in the transfer window and Dimperis expressed satisfaction at the same, whereas skipper Luka Majcen stressed upon the importance of a positive start.

“I am really lucky with all the players we have got in the Punjab FC roster. They are all great personalities and our aim is to achieve greater heights than we did last year,” Dimperis said.

The second day of the Media Day will feature Mumbai City FC, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC, Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, and Kerala Blasters FC in Kochi tomorrow. The ISL 2024-25 season will kick off on Friday, September 13, 2024, at 7:30pm IST on JioCinema and Sports18 network.