Abu Dhabi: Brazilian legend Zico and his team FC Goa will be making Dubai their home for the pre-season training ahead of the second edition of the Indian Super League that kicks off early October.
One of the main reasons for choosing Dubai is because of Zico’s close proximity with other Brazilians coaching in the UAE. The team which is scheduled to land here on September 2, is set to play three friendlies with UAE clubs and the team official is currently in Dubai to do a recce and finalise things.
The harsh summers may not be very ideal for the teams to train but they find the facilities here world-class and it also serves their pockets.
“Yes, we are scheduled to train there but I wouldn’t like to divulge much into it as of now, as there is lots going around the team and preparations,” said a club official on condition of anonymity.
Zico, who was here in Dubai earlier this month at the annual Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan Sports Tournament, had also expressed his willingness to help Goan and Indian youth through an exchange programme with the UAE.
“I would seriously think about bringing in the best squad of players from Goa or India to Dubai and pitting them against each other. That can only help as a learning process for all concerned.”
It is also learnt that North East United and Mumbai FC are also keen on choosing Dubai for their camp ahead of the season.
“Yes, Dubai is one of the venues that we are looking at for our pre-season training but we will be taking a call on it by mid-August,” said North East United’s spokesperson Rahul Patil.
Defending champions Atletico de Kolkata will be flying to Madrid for their buildup, while Chennaiyin FC will be heading for Perugia in Italy. Delhi Dynamos have chosen Denmark and Sweden as their training destinations. FC Pune City has zeroed in on Turkey while Kerala Blasters, co-owned by Sachin Tendulkar might end up training in their own backyards.
The ISL was an instant hit in the inaugural season itself and this year, it is expected to be even more spectacular with India’s top players like Sunil Chetri, who missed out on last season, getting clearance from his I-League club Bengaluru FC to take part in the tournament. During the ISL semi-final between Atletico de Kolkata and FC Goa in Goa there were 40,000 spectators in the stadium and 20,000 outside.
