© ISLReckoned to be one of the best foreign footballers to ply his trade in India, Mohun Bagan legend Jose Ramirez Barreto will now be seen in a new avatar as assistant coach of Atlético de Kolkata. We caught up with the Brazilian icon during the domestic player draft in Mumbai for a short interview:What do you think about the ISL and its possible impact? This new concept is such a good initiative. I am sure it is going to work and bring people to the stadium. There are only few places in India which can fill stadiums -- Kolkata, Goa and the North East. I think the ISL will be able to draw crowds to the stadiums in the eight cities and it is going to be successful.What about Kerala? Haven’t you witnessed good crowds in Kerala during your playing days?I really forgot about Kerala. The crowd was amazing during the recent Federation Cup (in January 2014). About 25,000 people turned up for the matches in Manjeri, it showed that people are passionate about football. It was amazing. There are people who will come to the stadium because of passion. There are also people who we have to bring to the stadium. In India this concept wasn’t there, but with its professional media and marketing team, the ISL can bring these people to the stadium as well.What was Atlético de Kolkata’s action plan during the domestic player drafts?We were looking for players with potential so that the coaches can get the best out of them. By having qualified coaches and a good system in place, the players can reach the next level.What kind of impact will the foreign players have in the ISL?Foreigners will make the difference, but I am not saying they will make the whole difference. Without the Indian players a team cannot do well, and they are equally important. Good foreigners, of course, can make a difference. And domestic players will benefit from playing along with experienced foreigners.A few I-League teams have loaned out players to the ISL. Do you think the I-League can benefit from the ISL?People are getting interested in the ISL. Once they are interested they will start getting to know the names of Indian players. Once they become fans, they will start to gather more details about their favourite players: where they are from, which teams they play for, etc. They will then follow the fortunes of these players in the domestic circuit. This will help Indian football in general. Youth and grassroots development programmes of the ISL will also help Indian football to develop and it will benefit all parties.How can Atlético de Kolkata benefit from the Atléticode Madrid partnership?We will go to Madrid for the pre-season, there we will talk about player development and youth development plans.Who is your favourite Indian footballer and why?There are many big players -- Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Subrata Paul etc. My favourite player is Clifford Miranda. He is one of the most talented and successful players in India and has achieved everything as a player. He is still doing well at the age of 32.
