"I hope that the boys will prove something" - Ivan Vukomanovic demands reaction from Kerala Blasters ahead of ISL 2022-23 clash against Chennaiyin FC | OneFootball

"Everybody says that it's kind of a Southern Derby. Of course, you prepare for it because, as a coach, and also before, as a player, I always like to play this kind of games because this kind of games makes you better. They make you better as a player and as a person."

"Now, it's completely a different feeling. We're together in the same hotel. Last night, you see all the players from our club and Chennaiyin FC eating together. We are sitting together with the technical staff.

"Being together two days before that kind of a game, it gives you a funny feeling. Maybe tomorrow [Tuesday; ed.] we will organize one meeting for all of us before the game, maybe we go by one bus together to the stadium. The next time, we can bring in the referees also, prepare everything and go together for the game."

"It's always nice to play these kinds of games and, as a player, you must always fight and dream, thinking, 'I want to play that game'. That's something special.

"I hope tomorrow that with all the boys we go there for our fans, we play a nice game and get a good result. It doesn't matter if somebody's now bottom of the table or top."

"It's the last part, the last run of the race. So, I hope that everybody will be fully motivated to show and it's something special. I hope that the boys will prove something back after our loss in Kolkata."

"No, no, not at all. It was a disappointing performance in a way that there was a big chance that you could make the situation easier, and we failed to do it. I was expecting more motivation and will to win that game.

"In any game across the world where you're playing against an opponent, whoever shows more motivation to win that game, the team wins. I was disappointed with us not showing more motivation than our opponents in Kolkata last game."

"That was kind of disappointing because we were still the team sitting on the third spot in the table, playing against a team from that position with all due respect.

"We were even talking in the dressing room in the previous days that if you are in that position, you must show that part of motivation and discipline more than your opponent in order to stay there, to be there."

"It comes with mentality, with character, you know, winning mentality. Despite the moment of the season or the opponent, you have to show that kind of mentality every game, whether you're playing home or away.

"You have to show that if you want to be on top, that was my explanation. Fever, no fever, that's like nothing. You know virus, whatever, last year, we were calling it COVID, this year we are calling it a virus.

"So, whatever it is, you go with it. You get some pills and you go with it. A couple of days and you are back on the pitch. So, no problem."

"It started sometime before the Mumbai City game. It was always like waking up every day and waiting for the medical report, seeing who is with a fever that morning, and then, trying to prepare for the training sessions."

"This morning, there were some issues with Giannou, but it might be alright with him. We'll see for tomorrow's game. So far, everybody else is available, and that's it. We never know.

"Many players went through it actually. If we start from the Mumbai City game, I think at least 15 players went through that virus, with fevers and with whatever it is. Yesterday, we had an issue with Giannou. Today, he is better, so we'll see for tomorrow."

"The young player, Nihal Sudeesh, he was playing for the B team and he had an ankle injury. Nothing's broken, but there's a big swelling. I think he was going to have an MRI scan this morning to see if everything's alright with his ligament. He will not be available for the game.

"Leskovic is joining the training session. So, we'll see for tomorrow if it's time [to play him] or not."

"We wanted [to keep Giannou on] because we knew that Kaliuzhnyi was not available. We wanted to keep Giannou on the pitch because he was giving us important things in previous games, between the lines. We were hoping that he can be there with a decisive pass or a decisive moment.

"I think he had this one good chance where the goalkeeper stopped the ball. You know, during the game, when you think about changes, these are decisions of a moment to change something or not."

"It's right about Bidya that he hasn't played a lot. He's a great guy. He deserves a little bit more [playing time], so maybe now in the next games, he'll get some playing time as well."

"Well, because in one period, we were mentioning that in December and January, which was the most important period, where you have to be consistent with one group, collecting points.

"I think that was the moment where we had this eight games without a defeat, I think, collecting those points and then, climbing up the table, which gives us today this situation that we still hope that we can be among the best in the playoffs later."

"When you organize that period, you tend to be consistent with one group of players who respond, and you keep them in shape. Now, when you are at the end, when it starts, let's say, in all sides, in all teams, falling apart with suspensions, injuries or something, then you have to be ready to rotate.

"You have to be ready to change, to give some other players playing time. I think many teams now have players on the limit of yellow cards, suspension [tight ropes], it happens that many of them are not available for next games, and then you have to do it."

"Even when you look at the fixtures, with the playoffs, with the Super Cup... When you see that [there is a match] every three days, especially later in the Super Cup, there is absolutely no chance that you can play all the Super Cup with one team.

"Because every three days... you start the group stage, you have three games in nine days, you have to do it. If you qualify, three days later, you have to play the semis. If you qualify, [you play the final] three days later. So, five games in 17 days, impossible because the players, you know, exhaustion and everything, rotation must happen.

"Especially now, when many players are coming to a limit where you're also statistically following these programs, seeing that many of them, they're limping, blinking like lamps, you have to react. Otherwise, you push them into injuries, and they're out, they're done."

"We knew even last year, a long time ago, that we wanted him in our team because we think he perfectly fits the mentality and character of Kerala Blasters. He can bring something extra, something special.

"At the beginning of the transfer window, we already sealed the deal. We signed him a long time ago. We were just waiting for that deal to be fixed with his ex-club. Of course, he is an extra weapon in our midfield. He can play defensive, he can play more offensive with an infiltration role."

"He has something extra that he will bring not only to our team, but also in the next period. We're really happy to have him. He has a great mentality, he is a great human being, a great character with a great fighting spirit.

"He can bring many different things, in possession, in the defensive shape and set pieces. He's a player we wanted."

"There is Khabra, there is Nishu Kumar, who can play on both sides. We have some young players who have joined our team. We were never crying about our situation, so this is the current situation of our squad and our team.

"We will use whatever we have. We will make our choice on [the available players]. Now, we have already brought some of our youngsters up, preparing them for the upcoming period, for the next season, to adapt to our team, and some of them can also perform there [in the full-back position]."

"We wanted to make one more transfer in the January window, but it failed due to the medical report. Then, we said there is no need to maybe bring in a player who is not available to play.

"Sometimes in the market, it's not the point to bring someone if you're not happy with it. Like, what we were saying the other day, if there are not many options and there is nothing that you like, you rather stick to the options that you have in your dressing room because the boys have already adapted.

"So for the moment, that's what we have, we're going to fight with that."

"Victor is an experienced player, well educated from his Spanish background. He's one of the players that the more he plays, the better he becomes.

"This was the fact, from the beginning of the season, our choice was to play with four foreigners, of course, because you have to. [We] went with Leskovic. I never had doubt in Victor, he is a great guy, a good player."

"Now, he is showing his quality, he is responding to the situation. We are not worried [about Leskovic's absence], he's covering that spot without any problem. I'm really happy with his performances, behavior, how he fits into the group.

"He's an experienced player in the ISL. It's been four years since he came to India. I can say nothing but the best about Victor."

"Yes, absolutely. We can see it on a daily basis, every game, every evening. You see different games, there are many direct duels now between the teams who are fighting for that [playoff] spot. Many teams are dropping points, some of them are winning games, of course.

"You see many mistakes, many nervous moments during the games, many strange decisions by the officials, by the referees, many penalties not given. Even our tomorrow's opponents, Chennaiyin FC, in the last game with a 2-2 draw, there was a clear penalty, 100% percent."

"These kinds of things, of course, it's frustrating. Every day you can see some decisions that [are frustrating]... yellow cards, red cards, penalties, no penalties, and many of these things can decide the runners for the playoffs.

"Of course, everybody thinks about that, but from my side, I always think these guys [the referees] are also there to do the job, they're doing the best they can, so we are there to support, to be a part of the game, nothing more than that.

"We tend to prepare our group of boys for the games, and of course, they have to bear themselves when they are on the pitch. That's football."

"It's a beautiful league. It's an excellent competition, seeing that anybody can beat anybody in any venue, home or away. Anything's possible in this league.

"Last year, we proved as a club, where nobody expected Kerala Blasters to reach the final after so many years. So, anything is possible. I think that every team in this league pick up one momentum where they are good, and have this good run.

"Some of the teams have it at the beginning of the season. Some of the teams, a little bit later. You face one difficult moment, where you have some defeats, you have to wake up, go through it."

"Bengaluru FC are actually the team, who are now in a good shape, winning all their games. They are where they are now with reason and with quality. They started with difficulties, and now, they are coming back. So, anything is possible.

"Still, there are a couple of clubs fighting for the playoffs. Even we're sitting on the third spot, we have no guarantee, we have to win and get more points to be secure for the playoffs."

"So, it's a nice league, it's a tough league. You have to compete, I like that. I like that you have to go out and fight for your spot. Look, at the end after 20 games, whoever is there [in the top six], they deserve it. Whoever is below, what a pity, better luck next year."

"We will not say about players of Kerala Blasters only. You can see it worldwide in every country all around the world because many things today are available on the internet, with two clicks, you can see many things around the world.

"Maybe I'm a person coming still from, let's say, an old school education, football education where first of all, you must prove yourself on the pitch with the correct things that you need to do as a football player."

"You have to prove your values as a football player. What's your job on the pitch? Do your job, fight along with your teammates, fight for the points, fight for the team, and play the football, play the ball.

"After that, there are many other things apart from a football game, we talk about image, we talk about many other external aspects that we can see worldwide."

"I'll give you an example. There are many big European clubs, where young boys are not allowed to wear any other shoe colors than black color till the age of 18 or till they become professional. There is no possibility that you can go enter the club with a cap.

"I don't know. This kind of education maybe comes from the old school, but as a football player, in your life you have to understand what the priorities are. What's your job? Doing the job on the pitch, winning games, playing the football because there are so many players around the world."

"It's a cruel job, it's a cruel job. If you are lucky enough in your football career, you get one chance, you fight for that, you get one chance, and maybe if you're lucky enough you maybe get a second chance.

"It's like a machine, going through it, it just takes you in, it just melts and spits you out. The football career goes so quickly. If you are lucky enough and start your professional career early enough, you can have maybe 10 or 15 years, you have to work hard, you have to fight every year for a spot."

"I can talk to you about my personal experiences as a foreign player in one country where they literally explain to you that you have to be better than your teammates and opponents every single training session and every game, otherwise you're gone.

"I remember my first experience abroad, arriving in France where they told me, 'Look, if you don't speak French as soon as possible so that you can communicate with the media, with fans, with your teammates, with the coaching staff, you're going back to where you came from very soon'.

"Then, personal experience, you are coming from a country destroyed by a civil war. You don't want to go back. You want to succeed for yourself or your family. You have to fight every day. That was back then when there was no internet, no communication with your family whatsoever like you are alone somewhere. You have to fight for yourself."

"Many of these experiences, you realize when you are younger, that it's about survival in this beautiful job. That's why sometimes maybe for us coming from different backgrounds, from different educations, it's kind of disappointing and frustrating because, especially in India, how many people, how many boys are crying [for an opportunity].

"You want to see emails? Thousands of emails and messages [from] crying boys saying, 'Please, I want one chance'. These kinds of things, when you realize and you reach a certain level, it's about fighting and survival if you want to get your spot in the team, if you want to get a spot in the squad, in your club."

"I think the first thing that you have to realize is do your job. Play football. All the other things, it doesn't matter, it's your personal life, it's your personal choice, it's something else, but there are priorities.

"In this cruel job, on many occasions worldwide, the clubs decide, 'You know what we don't need this kind of personality in our team, it's destroying the image of the club, we'll take another player'.

"These kinds of things, when you reach a moment, fighting for the title, fighting for the prizes, fighting for, again, your spot in one club as a player you have to realize because the career, believe me, [snaps] it goes like that."

"One day you are 20, the next day, you wake up and you are 32, and you have to think about your next step in life because when you end your career as a professional football player, your life is about to start because you cannot play anymore, physically or whatever it is, you have to go and do something else.

"If you don't sort these things in your head, realizing what has just happened in the previous couple of seasons, then you are lost, you're gone. It's a huge chance in your life... being a football player."

"It's something that you dream about, you love. Every morning, you wake up and say, 'I have a chance to play in front of a crowd, I have a chance to play in front of my friends, family, people'. It's a dream come true.

"Dreams come true, you have to fight hard for that, otherwise it just goes like that and the next day, you're not there anymore. This is how it goes, and that's why maybe my thinking is old-fashioned."

"I don't know, maybe not, but I think that still in the modern football today, you have to first sort these things like what is my main job, what is the main task I have to do on the pitch? Fighting for my team, fighting for my jersey, fighting to get results because I want to succeed.

"If you don't have that kind of motivation, then you're in the wrong place."

"It's my first season in the ISL and with Kerala Blasters. When I joined the club, in the beginning, for one and a half months, I was under pressure, but as time passed and with every training session, I just improved day by day."

"I have a lot of respect for Sahal. I'm not the one to decide if he is ahead of me or I'm, but I know I have to compete with such a player who is one of the best players in India. It's a privilege to compete against him."

"If you see the difference between the I-League and ISL, the ISL is more competitive compared to the I-League. I played in the I-League for two seasons and this is my first in the ISL. There is a massive difference. The foreigners, the quality in the ISL is way better.

"I watched Kerala Blasters play last season, I used to follow them when I got to know that they were interested in me. I used to watch the coach's plan accordingly. So when I came here, he was quite supportive towards me."

"So it didn't take me much time to adjust to his plan. Now, going forward this season, whatever game time I get, I hope I can provide the team with as much as of contribution I can do."

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