Since their inclusion in the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) setup in 2017-18, Jamshedpur FC have been relatively consistent with respect to both their performances and results. The club finished fifth in the Hero ISL 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, accumulating 26 and 27 points respectively. During this period, they’ve also been one of the most attractive sides to watch, drawing pretty patterns on the pitch with their possession-based passing football.

In a recent interview with indiansuperleague.com, the club’s Chairman, Chanakya Chaudhary, shared his thoughts on a variety of topics, ranging from past experiences, future endeavours and the inherent culture of Jamshedpur FC, which took root long before the team's formation. Here are the excerpts:

Q: How are Jamshedpur FC preparing for the Hero ISL 2019-20 season?

A: I actually got into it (Hero ISL) mid-season last term, because I was looking after some other work and my predecessor Sunil (Bhaskaran) moved on. The initial part of it, I just spent looking at what’s happening and how things are. Jamshedpur FC did reasonably well last season (Hero ISL 2018-19) because it was the second season, we ended up not in the top four but very close to it. Only one more win would have taken us there. Having said that, we are trying to put that behind us and see what we can do in this coming season. Hopefully, we will be in the top four. We tried to put up a team that is balanced and also learned from the past two seasons about the mistakes or the things we couldn’t do well. Hopefully, we’ll be in the top four.

Q: What does it mean for the city of Jamshedpur to have a football team of this stature?

A: Football isn’t new to Jamshedpur or Tata Steel. Because of the Tata Football Academy, we set it up in 1987, to be precise. Over a period of close to 30 odd years, it has produced (many) national team players. There was a time, a few years back, when most players of the national team were coming out of the Tata Football Academy. So, we had a good grassroots programme connected to the football academy for a long time. We would scout for good and young talents in the Eastern belt, in the northeastern belt. Over a period of time, it settled well. The Tata Football Academy always had a connection with foreign football clubs where the players would go every year and play and we would invite them here too.

Even during the period when Tata Football Academy wasn’t there, we used to have something called Super Soccer. For the Super Soccer matches, we used to call the Brazilian teams to play here. Getting into the Hero ISL now with Jamshedpur FC, it has only given a good pipeline for us. So, we have the Tata Football Academy that can create a reserve team to get into Jamshedpur FC. I would say this is an open ground where other clubs can also pick up players from.

What we have also done is to strengthen the whole thing (infrastructure) in Jamshedpur to get into the grassroots, the schools around Jamshedpur and scouting. Today, I can tell you the last two seasons we’ve reached about close to six to eight hundred students from different schools, where we have ensured the young school children are excited about football. Hopefully, it becomes a good pipeline for Jamshedpur FC, other club and the national team.

Q: Tell us about the relationship between Atletico Madrid and Tata Football Academy?

A: I also must tell you that Jamshedpur has the infrastructure for sports which is a big stadium that Tata Steel built many years back. There, we have good accommodation for the players. It’s actually very different than other clubs because the players who come to Jamshedpur for the six-month-long season, have an address, a new room to themselves. It is not like you pack your bag and move out from hotel to hotel. We don't only have a good field for the matches, but we also have a practice pitch.

With respect to the relationship with Atletico Madrid, this was a tie-up we formally announced last year, not only for Tata Steel but even for Tata Trust. So, we have a technical advisor coming in from Atletico Madrid, for our football academy as well as our club. They closely watch the players and also give feedback on how the teams are shaping up. One is for the football academy, the other is for the club. So, with our team selection process, they help us a lot.

Secondly, in the last couple of (Hero ISL) seasons, we have also taken their assistance for deciding on the coach for our team. With the Trust, they have a good tie-up where we help the Trust identify good talent in North East and those kids are sent for exposure to Madrid. As a matter of fact, we are also sending our talents from the TATA Football Academy to Madrid for exposure. That’s the kind of tie-up we have. They have also helped in getting foreign players.

Jamshedpur were one of the most enterprising clubs in the recently concluded summer transfer market. Sixty-five-year-old Spaniard, Antonio Iriondo was appointed the new head coach, while experienced top names like Sergio Castel, Aitor Monroy and Piti moved to the Jharkhand-based club with huge expectations for the coming season. Having finished just outside the top four for two seasons, both Jamshedpur fans and management will hope the team takes the next step towards progress and makes it to the semi-finals in Hero ISL 2019-20.