Vladimir Koman is one of the new faces on the block for Chennaiyin FC this Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season and the attacking midfielder would be looking to weave his magic in Indian football having garnered experience in different leagues around the world.

The midfielder interacted exclusively with www.indiansuperleague.com prior to the start of the eighth edition of the Hero ISL to shed light on his Chennaiyin adventure so far.

The Hungarian commenced his playing career back in 2006 at UC Sampdoria in Serie A and later played for clubs like AS Monaco, FC Krasnodar, Adanaspor, and Sepahan SC. He has amassed an upward of 300 club appearances in a career that has spanned over 15 years, registering 22 goals and 23 assists to his name.

Ticking off yet another destination on his professional travels, Koman has enjoyed his early days in India so far. “It is a new experience for me totally, to be in India. New people, new culture, a new league so I am very excited to start the league,” said Koman.

The Ukrainian-born player is no stranger to playing for reputed clubs, having represented some top sides in Europe, and also having featured for Sepahan SC in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Discussing the pressure of expectations of joining a champion club like Chennaiyin FC, he revealed, “The club has a very good history in the ISL. It is not a small club, the expectations are very high, very big, but I always put my target on the biggest thing, so my target is to be a champion, and hopefully, I will reach this target.”

Koman also revealed that manager Bozidar Bandovic interacted with him before his move to India and persuaded him to believe in the Chennaiyin project. Speaking about the coach’s philosophy, he states in a diplomatic manner, “The coach likes to play the ball. I don’t want to speak about tactical things, because it is a thing for the coach, and of course, he will decide the things on the field. We just train hard and what he is going to ask from us, we’ll try to make it on the field.”

The attacking midfielder would be eager to stamp his authority on the Hero ISL, and he has set the bar high for himself ahead of the upcoming season. “The personal targets are very high. Every time, I put the targets very high. Personally, I wanna help my team in all the games, help create a good atmosphere and help the team, that is the first target.”

“The second target, of course, together with the team to reach our goals. What we can do in this league we need to check, we want to be champions, but we also understand that there are so many opponents that are very good in the league, so it is going to be a good fight,” he added.

With a dressing room full of emerging players, the experienced campaigner has much more to contribute to than just his exploits on the pitch. The Hungarian seemed eager to guide the young prospects in the Marina Machans’ ranks. “I want to show my experience to the young generation, and if I can help them or teach them or show them something new that can help them in the future, I am open to that,” he said.

The atmosphere created by the boisterous support that the Chennaiyin FC players receive every time they set foot in the Marina Arena in Chennai, shall be tough to replicate in games played behind closed doors, and the 32-year-old has acknowledged that.

“I get so many messages and so many kind words on social media, I didn’t see them (fans), but we feel the support from the fans. My message is that we are going to do our best for Chennaiyin FC, and for the fans. Of course, without the fans, the atmosphere isn’t the same but hopefully, next season they are going to see us,” shared Koman.

A thrilling encounter against Hyderabad FC awaits the Marina Machans in their first game, and they will be looking to run away with all three points when the two face off on 23rd November.