ISL 2: Nicolas Anelka may not return next season

Nicolas Anelka – the player-manager of Mumbai City FC – may not return to Indian Super League (ISL) in the next season. The former French striker, one of the bigwigs in ISL since its inception, said his team lacks the fighting spirit and the hunger to win after the 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters FC here on Thursday. “I don’t know why we were defensive and scared in the second half (Kerala scored their equaliser in the 88th minute). There is a lack of desire and fighting spirit in the team and that’s why we are where we are,” said Anelka, at the post match conference. The footballer, who also shone for Chelsea and Manchester City, in the English Premier League during his heydays started shaking his head in disappointment even before he was asked about the thin chances of qualifying to the next round. “You need to win at least five out of six games to get to that position,” he said, adding: “It is a matter of equality. We don’t deserve to qualify. “We drew games we could have won, against Delhi Dynamos and FC Pune City,” said the 36-year-old. Anelka, who scored a couple of goals for Mumbai City FC in 2014, could not strike the right chord this time being at the helm of proceedings. “It is difficult to be the manager. It is hard when you don’t get to pick your players. My target was to reach the semi-final,” he asserted. When asked whether he would be seen in ISL next season, he said: “I don’t know, I don’t think so.” The first season of the league saw former Arsenal star Robert Pires, Italian World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero, Spanish great Luis Garcia who did not return in the 2015 edition. Is ISL going in the right direction It remains to be seen.