Indian Super League: Will do my best to take FC Pune City to semis, says Jewel Raja
Pune: FC Pune City’s new signing Jewel Raja has already set his sights on the upcoming edition of the Indian Super League, starting from November. Having won the ISL title with ATK last year, the 27-year-old is confident that he can help his team to the semifinals.
“I have no idea why Pune did not make it to the last four in the past seasons. I will definetly try my best to take my team forward in the upcoming season.
"I am very happy to be here at FC Pune City. Last year, Pune could not make it to the semifinal, so this season my first priority will be to help my team reach the semifinal,” he added.
Asked about his title-winning season with ATK last season, he said, “ATK was a good experience for me in the last two years, I have been a part of the semifinal twice and also the final last year. Pune is also a good team. We have good management staff, good coaching staff," he stated.
Jewel also spoke about a young FC Pune City setup.
"We have a very young team this year with young players. We have got foreign players who are very talented. We have got Marcelinho, Alfaro. They are all very talented players. I am familiar with young Indian footballers too. All players are very hungry to play football. They will always have a point to prove," he said.
Jewel is one of the footballers who believe that ISL is a better platform than the I-league.
“I-league is different from ISL. For me, ISL is better than I-league. In I-league, there are seven Indian players, three or four foreigners. Many foreigners play I-league, but they are not given a chance to play the ISL. The level of football played in I league is not that high.
"In I-league, we play pre season friendlies almost all over India. Whereas in ISL, we get a chance to go abroad, train and play practice matches. We get an opportunity to get to know about a lot of foreign players, play with them," he further commented.
When asked about the toughest opponent he has faced, he said it was Kerala Blasters.
" Kerala Blasters have been a tough opponent for me. Playing the ISL final at Kolkata last year in front of 50, 000 people, we were playing a team who had not lost one match on their home turf. Kerala have been difficult to beat at home, so for me, they have always been a tough team," he concluded.
The upcoming season of the Indian Super League will kick off on November 17, with a clash between last years finalists ATK and Kerala Blasters. FC Pune City will lock horns with Delhi Dynamos at home in their first match of the season on November 22. The extended season, consisting of 10 teams, will go on for four months, with the final to be held in March.
