ISL: Delhi Dynamos will not roll over against Atletico de Kolkata, says del Piero

Kolkata: Delhi Dynamos might not have begun their Hero Indian Super League campaign with a bang but their marquee player Alessandro Del Piero today said that his side would look to play their best against Atletico de Kolkata on Sunday.

“I know it will be tough tomorrow, they (Atletico) are on a roll after winning back to back matches. But we are not here to participate, we are here to fight and show our best,” the star Italian World Cup winner told reporters ahead of their ISL fixture here.

“I will be ready to do everything. Adjusting to the field without the warm-up was a little bit hard. I’m okay now, there’s no problem. We will see tomorrow what’s the best and good for the team,” he said.

Dynamos were held to a goalless draw by FC Pune City in their opening match in New Delhi on October 14. In that match, Del Piero came as a 37th minute substitute but the Italian star said he’s likely to be seen in the starting line-up though the team think tank refused to divulge their plans.

“It’s the coach who will decide. We have to understand that it’s an artificial turf, he will decide the starting line-up,” said Del Piero.

The visiting team’s aim is to open their account and Del Piero said they were fully focussed on taking on ATK who are on a two-match winning run.

“It’s been very good, I have spent more than four weeks in India. Now the league has started, it’s the most important thing. We are a team who can play and win game. Everybody knows their job and we will try to do our best. We have a team who can play with or without me.”

On ATK’s star player Luis Garcia, he said, “Definitely it’s first time for me and I’m sure for Garcia as well. We will try to find a solution to stop him. This is my priority and our priority. Play good and win games. All the teams have great players. Every game will be tough for everyone and not only for us,” said the 36-year-old player.

Having played for Sydney FC before coming here, adjusting to Indian conditions was not tough for Del Piero.

“I’ve been in Australia for two years. We played all the season in summer time. There was 40 degrees. Yes, it’s difficult but it will be same for all the players. The team which can have quicker players will have more chances.”

Impressed with the bunch of Indian players, Del Piero, who was accompanied by Indian forward Shylo Malswamtulunga, said the youngsters were giving their best which was a good sign for the country’s football.

“It’s the start of a new project. I found really good players, they are ready to listen and give 100 per cent in every training. This quality is very important. They can have the opportunity to improve a lot at the end of the season and reach a better level. They can keep up with that.”

PTI