MANUEL LANZAROTE
2 DAYS TO GO MUMBAI: The fifth edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) -- the longest yet -- is around the corner and franchises pin their hopes on changes in the team and the arrival of new faces.
While most teams spent the latter half of the transfer window bringing in foreign recruits, it was also about tapping into the best already available in the league.
ISL’S all-time top-scorer Iain Hume, who had already moved four times in the previous four seasons, completed another shift, joining last year’s semi-finalists FC Pune City from Kerala Blasters.
Pune already possess a potent strike partnership in Uruguayan Emiliano Alfaro and Brazilian Marcelinho – who have scored 17 goals together – and Hume will add to the firepower of last year’s fourthplaced team. Canadian Hume though will miss action in the first two months (first phase from Sept 29-Dec 16) having failed to recover from an injury suffered last season. Like Hume, manager Steve Coppell has also been on the move since first taking charge of Kerala Blasters in 2016 and guiding them to the final where they lost to ATK in penalty shootout.
ITINERANT COACH
Last season (2017/18), the Englishman took charge of new entrants Jamshedpur FC, who ended fifth in the 10-team league. This year, Coppell will be at the helm of twice champions ATK.
“I have never been a butterfly, moving from flower to flower. I had wanted to stay with Kerala but that was a decision not in my hands. With Jamshedpur, I had really thought it would be my last club in India and I had told them that. But then as I was get- ting bored playing golf back home, I got a call from ATK. I don’t think much about the future beyond the next game,” Coppell said.
His arrival at ATK caps a successful transfer period for the club.
ATK have signed up defender John Johnson from Bengaluru FC. The English centre-back was a mainstay in Bengaluru’s successful runs in I-league (winners in 2013/14, 2015/16) and ISL (runners-up 2017-18).
ATK have also brought in Delhi Dynamos’ star Nigerian forward Kalu Uche, who scored 13 goals from 15 games last season. Most notably, Coppell has secured the services of one of the league’s most valuable players from last season, Manuel Lanzarote. Nationality: Spain Moved from: FC Goa to ATK
In ISL
Season 4 (FCG) 13 goals 6 assists 19 matches
PLAYER-COACH RIFT
The Spanish forward, with 13 goals and six assists at FC Goa last season, wanted out due to strained relations with coach Sergio Lobera.
“In February, I tell (told) the club I will not continue and declined the contract I had signed for one more year. The reason was a personal problem with the coach and I didn’t want to work with him,” Lanza had posted on Instagram.
It is not just Kolkata-based ATK who have utilised the transfer window.
Mumbai City FC, who are likely to stick with their ‘building from the back’ approach under new manager Jorge Costa, have acquired the country’s two top attacking wing-backs.
Subashish Bose and Souvik
Chakrabarti were signed after fairly successful outings with Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC respectively.
Bose, who recently captained India U-23 at the SAFF Cup —India were runners-up — clocked 1293 minutes at left-back in Bengaluru’s run to the final in ISL 4.
Chakrabarti was also a regular starter at right-back under Coppell at Jamshedpur FC last term and looked comfortable while attacking as well. They can be expected to play pivotal roles for former Portugal international and Champions League winner Costa.
Kerala Blasters FC have India’s top defensive pair, having signed up Anas Edathodika from Jamshedpur FC to link up with Sandesh Jhingan.