Hans Mulder will be looking to stamp his authority in midfield when Chennaiyin FC take on Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi in the second south Indian derby of Hero Indian Super League 2016. Chennai head into the match with 10 points from eight matches and know that a win against the Blasters will see them leapfrog Steve Coppell’s men in the league standings. Mulder has been an influential presence for the Super Machans this season having contributed both in attack and defence. The 29-year-old Dutchman, who has netted twice for the reigning champions already this year, spoke to indiansuperleague.com in an exclusive interview ahead of the game. Here are the excerpts.The stadium is going to be packed tomorrow, what are your expectations from the game?It’s my third time in Kochi already, it’s always impressive to play here but I think we are going to have a really good game, which will be tight with a lot of fighting spirit. I feel good about the game, have confidence in the team and we need to win this game.You have been playing a lot of back-to-back games. A few words on your coaching staff, how do they keep you fit?Well, it’s getting harder now as we are playing a lot of games and training really hard. The key to staying fit is to recover very well. After every game and training, taking an ice bath and getting a proper massage really helps.Besides football, what are your hobbies?I spend a lot of time with my family. I go with them to the zoo, the cinema and amusement parks. So that is what I like to do after football, to give my 100% to my family because that is the most important thing for me.
