FC Pune City could not make it to the final four of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2014 after losing back to back matches against Delhi Dynamos and Kerala Blasters.
But this year, they have made it sure to add enough reinforcements to go all the way and lift the coveted ISL trophy.
FC Pune City management placed David Platt at the helm of the team affairs and the person who has been the assistant coach of Manchester City, might just well be the person who will be able to guide them towards glory.
The magnitude and ability of their new signings for ISL 2015 are quite frightening for their opponents. Adrian Mutu, Didier Zokora, Tuncay Sanli, Eugenesin Lyngdoh, Roger Johnson, Jackichand Singh and a few more can pose a real threat in the forthcoming tournament. Looking at their signing, one might be forced to believe that they are desperate to become a force with a reckoning in ISL 2015.
FC Pune City finished 6th in the league table and this year they want to turn the wheels of fortune towards them. The Pune-ites will have a plethora of reasons to celebrate as stated by the players and the coach himself ahead of the new season of ISL.
Pre-Season: FC Pune City embarked upon the Turkish sojourn and trained at a high-class facility. The players and teams got to gel well with each other and the senior players in the side were able to share their experiences as well.
Key Players:
Adrian Mutu (Foreign Recruit): The former Romanian international has played for a number of clubs across Europe like Chelsea, Fiorentina and others. He will be coming into the ISL 2015 with truckloads of experience and can be a serious goal scoring machine for the Pune-based franchise.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh (India): Lyngdoh is one of the best Indian players and co-owner Hrithik Roshan was quite happy to sign him during the auctions. He knows the Indian conditions well and can be a dangerous player if given space on either of the wings. He is definitely one of the players to watch out for.
Opening Match: FC Pune City will begin their ISL 2015 campaign against Mumbai City FC on the 5 October at the Balewadi Stadium.
Squad:
Coach: David Platt.
Goalkeepers: Arindham Bhattacharya, Steve Simonsen, Lalit Thapa.
Defenders: Govin Singh, Diego Colotto, Roger Johnson, Pritam Kotal, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Gurjinder Kumar, Gouramangi Singh, Nicky Shorey.
Midfielders: Didier Zokora, Manish Maithani, James Bailey, Israil Gurung, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Sushanth Matthew, Bikash Jairu, Lenny Rodrigues, Fanai Lalrempuia.
Forwards: Yendrick Ruiz, Kalu Uche, Adrian Mutu, Jackichand Singh, Tuncay Sanli, Wesley Verhoek.
