"He's one of the leaders in the group": Kratky highlights Chhangte's key role ahead of new ISL season

New Delhi [India], August 28 : As the new Indian Super League (ISL) season approaches, Petr Kratky, the head coach of Mumbai City FC (MCFC) reflects on the importance of star player Lallianzuala Chhangte, outlines the team's attacking options, and provides insight into pre-season preparations.
Lallianzuala Chhangte, recently named All India Football Federation (AIFF) player of the year, has emerged as one of the top Indian footballers, and his presence in the team is crucial. While speaking to ANI about Chhangte's impact, the coach emphasized his leadership qualities and the influence he has on the squad.
"Oh, he is very important. You know, he's one of the leaders in the group, and his performances, you know, speak for themselves, you know, about him and his career. He's very well respected and he's a very important part of our team. Obviously, he will have a very busy schedule now with the national team coming up and a new coach in the national team. He's excited, he's fit, he's ready. He's an important part of our team and we support him through the whole season and hopefully he will excel again," Kratky said.
With the ISL season on the horizon, the coach was asked about who would spearhead the team's attacking force. He highlighted the depth of talent available, mentioning both established and emerging players.
"Well, we have a lot of players available for that. But we are still working on. We have obviously our Indian players who are very good, you know, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Vikram Partap, and we have also new additions of Noufal and Gyamar Nikum, you know, but also the strikers like Nikolaos Karelis and others. So, we have quite a good attacking force, so I'm looking forward to it. We'll make it through the starting eleven and see how the season will go," he noted.
Reflecting on the challenge of leading the team to an ISL Trophy after taking charge midway through the last season, the coach acknowledged the difficulties but expressed pride in the team's ability to overcome them.
"It wasn't easy. We had a bit of hiccups on the way, you know, after my arrival. We make it work, so it's very proud of the group, and it wasn't easy, but you know, this is our job and it's not always easy. We have to work through the hard times, and we did, and we are very happy about it," the head coach noted.
With pre-season training underway, Kratky provided an update on the team's preparations and the players' readiness for the challenges ahead.
"Yeah, it's very good. We started obviously a couple of weeks ago and we are sort of somewhere in the middle. There are a lot of tired legs because they are working very hard in the pre-season. They know that next season will be also very hard. It will be much harder than the season before. The boys want to succeed again, but we are in the middle of the process. There are still a few weeks to go, so we just keep working. So far, I'm very happy with what I see in terms of potential, but now we have to make it work," he said.
As the new ISL season approaches, the coach's focus remains on fine-tuning the team's tactics, building on last season's success, and ensuring that players like Chhangte continue to play a pivotal role in the squad's ambitions.