Kochi: Two-time champions Atletico de Kolkata will be taking the pitch in the fourth edition of the retooled Indian Super League (ISL) with a new name and approach.
Rechristened Amar Tomar Kolkata, which literally translates to ‘Mine and Your Kolkata’, the team will, however, continue to be known as ATK.
The change in name was effected following their dissociation with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. The club will also switch from Spanish to English style of play this season.
Moving on from their Spanish partnership, the Kolkata-based franchise went for a total shake-up of the team. The management ended the contract with Spanish coach Jose Francisco Molina who guided the team to their second title win in 2016, and roped in Manchester United forward Teddy Sheringham for the new season.
Another Englishman Ashley Westwood, who had three fruitful years at the helm of Bengaluru FC, was appointed as the technical director.
ATK, which had half-a-dozen Spanish players in their ranks in the first three seasons, have only one Spaniard in the current squad. The first three seasons also saw them training and playing friendlies in Spain, the home of their parent club Atletico Madrid, but this year, they chose Dubai as their base for pre-season.
Power-packed attack
Despite changing their core team of players and the coach, ATK appear to be well equipped to clinch their third ISL title. Their attack, spearheaded by Irish legend Robbie Keane, is a perfect mix of experienced players and fresh talent. Keane will team up with Finnish striker Njazi Kuqi and Portuguese forward Jose Egas dos Santos, popularly known as Zequinha, who represented Portugal national side in FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007. However, Keane is likely to miss the openig week's action due to an injury.
The Indians in the ATK forward line-up are international Robin Singh and Aizwal FC’s Jayesh Rane.
Formidable midfield
A midfield packed with some extremely talented foreign recruits played a key role in ATK’s second title win last year. This year, however, they cannot boast of such tremendous strength and depth in their midfield line-up. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have the weapons to control the middle of the field in their armory.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh, one of the best in the business in India, former Delhi Dynamos player Rupert Nongrum, former Bengaluru FC player Shankar Sampingraj, and Darren Caldeira, who played for Chennai FC in the I-League, will be adding Indian flair to ATK’s midfield.
They will dictate the flow of the game in the middle in the company of former Coventry City captain Carl Baker and English midfielder Conor Thomas, who has turned up for a couple of English Premier League sides including Portsmouth.
Indians to solidify defense
The franchise’s management has reposed its faith in Indians to guard the team’s defense as two of the three players who were retained from the previous season are defenders while the other one is a goalkeeper.
Apart from right-back Prabir Das and left-back Keegan Pereira, who were part of the team when ATK lifted the title in Kochi last year, former Indian international Anwar Ali, Goan Augustin Fernandes, former Chennaiyin FC player Mohanraj Nalappan, and ex-Mumbai City FC player Ashutosh Mehta also feature in ATK’s defense.
Jordi Figueras, who plied his trade in the Spanish first division league, and Tom Thorpe, a product of the Manchester United Academy, will form a solid partnership at the heart of their defense.
Debjit Majumder, who manned the goalpost in the last edition, will be the first-choice keeper. ATK have also signed Finnish veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen and former North East United goalkeeper Kunzang Bhutia.
The coach
Sheringham was one of the star strikers of the Manchester United side that won the Champions League in the 1998-99 season. The 51-year-old also have three EPL titles and one FA Cup under his belt. For the national side, he has scored 11 goals in 51 appearances. His coaching stints were at League Two side Stevenage and EPL club West Ham United.
Star to watch
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane. File photo: Getty ImagesKeane, one of the most accomplished players in the history of Irish football, served as captain of the national team for over a decade. He had a prolific career in the English Premier League as well, playing for top teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United and Leeds United. He moved to Los Angeles Galaxy, one of the prominent sides in the US Major League Soccer, and played there for six seasons, scoring as many as 83 goals in 125 appearances. Keane netted a total of 68 goals for the national team over an 18-year international career, making him the all-time record Irish scorer.
Top-three Indian stars
Eugeneson Lyngdoh
Age: 31
Role: Midfielder
Robin Singh
Age: 27
Role: Forward
Debjit Majumder
Age: 29
Role: Goalkeeper
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