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BFC keen on Asian surge

Bengaluru outfit begins pre-season training with bigger goals
Last Updated 27 July 2015, 18:50 IST

After enjoying a successful season last year, which saw them win the Federation Cup and come agonisingly close to retaining the I-League title, Bengaluru FC kick-started their pre-season training with renewed determination at the Bangalore Football stadium here on Monday.

The team, which included one of their new recruits Seiminlen Doungel, was welcomed by the Bengaluru fans who flocked the stadium with banners.

“It’s nice to be back. Nice to see the fresh faces,” said the Bengaluru coach Ashley Westwood. “The day was just about familiarising ourselves with the conditions. As far as initial impression (of the squad) is concerned, I don’t see too many weak links. They look serious starting XI contenders, which is what you want,” he added.

A new season also means new faces in the squad and Bengaluru is no different. With the Australian striker Sean Rooney heading back home at the end of the last season, Bengaluru have done their bit to fill in that void by bringing in Doungel and the North Korean strike force Kim Seong-Yong, who is expected to join the squad in later this week. But Westwood insisted that their business was far from over.

“It’s too early to say how the new guys shape up. But for now we’ve left ourselves 3-4 slots to fill,” said the Briton.

“We are talking to people who can be starting XI contenders. With the side we have now, we’re looking at elite players who need to come in and affect an AFC Cup game, especially. We feel we are very competitive and established in the league and now we’re looking for the next level. So we’re looking at players who can improve the XI,” said the Bengaluru coach.

With the Bengaluru players also being involved in the Indian Super League, the club might not enjoy the luxury of having the full strength squad at disposal for the pre-season but Westwood asserted that his boys would be ready for the challenge come January.

“They’re (the ISL-bound players) elite players of the country and are prepared to withstand the 40-50 game season,” said the Bengaluru coach. “They’re modeled on the European techniques. We played 35-36 competitive games last year, and if you put the friendlies we had before that, that makes it a 40-game season. So regardless of where they go and play, there’s only 14 games in the ISL and 20 games in the I-League. So they will be well-prepared and it wont affect us.”

Asked about his goals for the upcoming season, Westwood was quick to assert that his side will have their eyes set on improving their performance in Asia. “To go and confirm the form we showed in Asia. Hopefully go one step further. We made the last 16. Now we'll be looking to better that.

“We always try and improve every year. That will be one area we're looking at. We had the big disappointment on the last day of the season. We had more or less done enough to win the league and that didn't happen. But this year, we want to go and win the league and cement ourselves in Asia,” he quipped.

 

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(Published 27 July 2015, 18:50 IST)

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