Chennaiyin FC captain Anirudh Thapa believes that the Durand Cup will help the team get used to the playing style of Thomas Brdaric. The tournament is the third oldest tournament in the world with all the Hero ISL sides participating for the first time ever. They will be joined by five I-League clubs as well as four Armed Forces teams.
“Durand Cup is different, ISL is different. We know the value of ISL. We will know what (style) we will be playing, and what teams we will be playing. And that’s the Durand Cup for us. Obviously, it is important. It’s not that we are just playing for fun. But more of it is to get to know each other, and what all we need to do to perform in the ISL,” Anirudh Thapa said about getting used to the playing style of Thomas Brdaric. “For us, it (Durand Cup) is important. We have a new team. The foreigners are new. So, we need that game time to get used to the style the coach wants from us. Rafa (Rafael Crivellaro), who was out (injured), also needs that game-time. I think these matches are important to get along with each other.”
Meanwhile, North East United FC goalkeeper Mirshad Michu is confident of a successful Hero ISL season. They reached the final of the 2020/21 edition before enduring a tough season last time around.
“Our aim this season is to win the Championship. We are working very hard for that. Last season, due to injury problems we had a bad season. But this time we are quite sure regarding our success,” Michu said. “Khalid sir helped me a lot. He provided me with the chance to prove myself. Also, he motivated me a lot to give out my best on the field.”
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