After an impressive show in the recently concluded Indian Super League, FC Pune City is now getting ready for Super Cup. They got direct entry into the main round and will face Shillong Lajong FC in the pre-quarters on Wednesday in Bhubaneswar.
The Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor co-owned franchise booked their maiden play-off berth last month before losing to Bengaluru FC in the two-leg semi-final.
“It’s one more competition for us and we are doing everything to keep up the motivation and put in the same efforts as we put during the ISL,” said head coach Ranko Popovic after completing a gruelling practice session on Monday.
The coach felt his team shouldn’t only be prepared physically but also mentally since all of them joined back after a break post ISL-4 season.
“Like ISL teams, even the I-League teams will come with the intention to win the Super Cup, so we cannot give anything less than hundred percent for this,” the Serbian added.
After seeing the qualifying rounds of Super Cup, Popovic was impressed with the quality of competition and said the tournament should bode well for Indian football to grow in the near future. “For us every competition is a competition, be it ISL, Super Cup or any other tournament we participate. I want my players to be ready for any challenge and show the commitment to play at the highest level,” the coach remarked.
Popovic and his entire squad returned to Pune on March 19 to start training. Barring goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, who is on the national duty, Popovic has the entire squad at his disposal for the tournament in Bhubaneswar.
A few weeks back, Popovic was picked as the ‘Fan Favourite’ for 2017-18 season of ISL. “We had a fantastic season creating history. Our players realised their true potential as we made it to top but they should work harder for the next season,” pointed Popovic.
