ISL 2015: I still practice my curling freekicks everyday, says Roberto Carlos

Mumbai: Delhi Dynamos player-manager Roberto Carlos promised Indian football fans that they will see the best of him in the Indian Super League — as a manager and as a player.

The World Cup winner also warned that he continued to practice his famous banana freekicks.

“I practice them every day. Of course, at the age of 42, the quality is not what it was but I’m still determined to show India the best of Roberto Carlos,” he said.

Carlos hasn’t had a very successful managerial career so far — his stints at Turkish clubs Anzhi Makhachkala, Sivasspor and Akhisar Belediyespor have all been short lived and trophy-less. He averaged a maximum of 1.32 points per match in all these roles.

Carlos is very animated — his hand gestures triggered a hundred flashes — and there were many in the 10-minute press conference held during the ISL auction and draft. For now all signs point to him being an expressive manager who will rely on his personality to get the best out of his team.

Taking a leaf out of India cricket team director Ravi Shastri, he also said that his motivation to the team would be to convince them that they’re the best. Which is where language could be an issue. Carlos speaks passionately and in third person at times — but it’s just that the Indians won’t understand him. Interpretors can only do so much.

When asked whether this will be an issue when he tries to get his point across.

“Footballers are super-intelligent and there is only one football language - to win, to win, to win,” he told Firstpost said rather seriously.

Carlos said that he was raring to play and that this was the time for Indian players to show their quality.

“I’ve always been a very serious trainer — I’ve been training teams for the last four years and the Turkish league is of a very high level. But I’ve always wanted to play. Indians actually have a very high level of quality players and now is the time to show it,” he said.

The Delhi Dynamos bought striker Robin Singh and defender Anas Edathodika in the auction before signing energetic midfielder Sehnaj Singh in the draft among other Indians.

“Everything that took place today was pre-planned. You will see the results when we play — you can take 100,000 names we didn’t sign today but we took the best. That is the mentality of the team,” Carlos said.