The city that introduced football to the country more than a century ago will definitely make an exotic addition to the ISL extravaganza. Much before its peers could make up their mind, the franchise made its slant clear, announcing a tie-up with La Liga champion Atletico de Madrid.
Sourav Ganguly’s charisma and his popularity as a former Indian cricket captain seemed to strike a chord with the owners of Los Rojiblancos (The Red and Whites), who sought their maiden venture outside Spain’s shores.
The Kolkata team derived its name and the vertical-red-and-white-striped jersey from its Spanish parent. Drawing inspiration from the famous ‘tiki-taka’ style, Atletico de Kolkata coined its slogan to read: ‘Fata-fati Football’. (Fata-fati is a Bengali colloquialism that means outstanding.)
Ganguly, who leads a consortium of the city’s top industrialists, has declared that Atletico de Kolkata will do everything it can to raise the level of Indian football.
Former Bolivia and Valencia manager Antonio Lopez Habas has crafted a decent combination that centres round the excellence of six Spaniards led by the marquee player – Luis Garcia. In a tournament where the imports are going to make an impact, the combination of foreigners is crucial. Former Real Madrid midfielder Borja Fernandez is another stellar attraction.
The others who figure prominently in Habas’s roster include Spanish goalkeeper Basilio Sancho Agudo, Spanish defender Josemi and former Barcelona midfielder Jofre Mateu. Among the Indians there are a host of prominent I-League names such Arnab Mondal, Climax Lawrence, Cavin Lobo, Baljit Sahni, and Sanju Pradhan.
Asked about the team’s style of play, Habas, who has bolstered his defence and midfield with the best of recruits, said: “We will not play the protagonist and have a balanced approach depending on the opposition.”
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Basilio Sancho Agudo, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Apoula Edel.
Defenders: Nallappan Mohanraj, Josemi, Arnab Mondal, Biswajit Saha, Denzil Franco, Kingshuk Debnath, Sylvain Monsoreau.
Midfielders: Sanju Pradhan, Rakesh Masih, Cavin Lobo, Lester Fernandez, Climax Lawrence, Ofentse Nato, Mamunul Islam, Jofre Mateu, Borja Fernandez, Luis García, Jakub Podaný
Forwards: Baljit Sahni, Mohammad Rafi, Mohammad Rafiq, Fikru Tefera, Arnal Llibert.
Head coach: Antonio Lopez
Owners: Kolkata Games and Sports Pvt. Ltd. owned by Sourav Ganguly, Harshavardhan Neotia, Sanjiv Goenka, Utsav Parekh and Spanish club Atlético de Madrid
Marquee player: Luis Garcia
Watch out for:
Luis Garcia: A prominent name in the Liverpool side that won the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and the European Super Cup, the Spaniard will be a major influence. Garcia also had two spells with Atletico Madrid on the either side of the Liverpool job. The 36-year-old is famously known for his ‘ghost’ goal against Chelsea that knocked the latter out of the Champions League in the 2005 Champions League semifinal. Garcia is an attacking midfielder, who is naturally left-footed and has a good aerial game despite having a relatively small frame. Garcia played for Spain for three years and represented the country in the 2006 World Cup.
Borja Fernandes: A former Real Madrid academy graduate who went on to play for the senior team, Fernandes is a defensive midfielder. The 33-year-old has also played for other La Liga sides such as Getafe and Deportivo La Coruna and has amassed a total of 187 appearances in the Spanish league. He also played in the Spanish junior and youth national teams.
