Atlético de Kolkata boosted their chances of retaining the Hero Indian Super League [ISL] with the addition of Hélder Postiga as their marquee player for the upcoming season. The former FC Porto hitman brings more fire power to the ATK frontline and is set to link up with last year’s Hero of the Tournament Iain Hume, in what promises to be one of the most mouth-watering strike partnerships of ISL 2015. An experienced campaigner, the 33-year old striker brings European pedigree and know-how to the Atlético de Kolkata squad, having represented the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Saint-Étienne, Panathinaikos, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Valencia and Lazio in a much-travelled career. Postiga has also represented his country on 72 occasions, scoring 27 times. He was also a part of the Portuguese squad that finished runners-up to Greece at the UEFA European Championship in 2004. In an exclusive chat with indiansuperleague.com, Postiga spoke about his stay in India so far and his expectations heading into the league’s curtain-raiser against Chennaiyin FC on Saturday. Here are some excerpts from the interview.How does it feel being in India for the first time?It feels good. It’s a different country but the enthusiasm is really good. I love these moments in India and I hope that I will enjoy this more in the future.How about the adjustments in Indian conditions?It is very difficult here because the weather is very hot and more humid here, but we will adapt to it quickly for the games.You have been in Kolkata. How was your experience with the fans of Atlético de Kolkata?Fans are very enthusiastic there and I hope that the team will respond to that with the same enthusiasm with better results.How is training under coach Antonio Lopez Habas?He is a very good coach and a bit hard coach. All days he tries working hard and makes good things for the team improvement.Do you feel any pressure to prove yourself on Indian soil?Pressure always exists in professional football. When you don’t have pressure, you don’t feel good because this encourages you to work hard.What are your feelings for the first game tomorrow against Chennaiyin FC?The first game is very important for all the players of the team including me. I hope we will enjoy and win the game.
