Kolkata: Atletico de Kolkata’s (ATK) marquee player Helder Postiga said here Friday that he’s back stronger and fitter with a renewed determination to win the third edition of the ISL starting, October 1.
His ISL 2015 appearance lasted just 72 minutes as he sustained an injury that kept him out of the season but after returning to fitness, he joined Rio Ave FC in the Portuguese top tier and scored five goals to help them qualify for Europa League.
“It’s great to be back. I am fully fit now and it feels fantastic. Hope I can improve my last year’s performance and help the team in becoming champions,” Postiga told reporters here Friday.
Despite the injury, the Portuguese forward made an impact last year scoring twice in ATK’s 3-2 win over Chennaiyin FC in the opening match.
Welcoming Postiga back to the franchise, ATK’s Canadian forward Iain Hume, one of the leading scorers of the tournament, said: “Two goals from one match, it’s not a bad record after all. If he can add up to that it can be great for the team.”
In Postiga’s absence last season, Hume had carried the extra responsibility but the Scottish-born Canadian did not disappoint as he scored 11 goals. And despite scoring 16 goals in two seasons, Hume is yet to win the ISL silverware which would be his first priority in the third edition.
“As far as the target goes, there’s only one, to lift the trophy on the last day. I missed out in the first season (for Kerala Blasters). And last time, we were arguably the best team in the league but we lost one bad game and it killed our season,” Hume told reporters.
“There’s no reason why we can’t better the results. We want to start off well in the first game and continue that consistency to the last,” Hume added.
ATK this time have retained seven players in the foreigners’ roster including their marquee recruit Postiga but have made wholesale changes to the Indians line-up and have a new coach in Spanish World Cupper Jose Molina who has succeeded Antonio Habas.
“Molina is obviously different to Habas and you have to adapt to formations and style of play. Different coaches have different outlooks. You have to change and that’s football,” Hume informed on the sidelines of their theme song launch.
Team co-owner Sanjiv Goenka along with Postiga and Hume earlier launched their team title track ‘Aamer Bukey ATK’ (ATK in my heart).
Press Trust of India
