Rino Anto: We want to win the match
Bengaluru FC's final match in the league stages of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 will be against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Wednesday.
Bengaluru FC's final match in the league stages of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 will be against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Wednesday. Heading into the semi-finals, Carles Cuadrat's men will be eager to put another win under their belt and boost their confidence a little.
Before the match, indiansuperleague.com caught up with Bengaluru player Rino Anto for an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts.
How does it feel to return to Jamshedpur given your history with the city?
Whenever I come to Jamshedpur, it is a great honour to be here because I was in Jamshedpur from 2004 to 2008. I was in the Tata Football Academy. It is because of the academy that I am here (playing professional football).
Have you interacted with any of the Tata Football Academy players this time around?
Every time I come to Jamshedpur, I always go and visit them (the academy players). This year, a lot of changes are in place. There are so many facilities because a new team in Jamshedpur FC are here. They are getting more opportunities to see the good players from Jamshedpur FC in action.
Thoughts on the match against Jamshedpur FC.
We want to win the match, obviously. We're playing a good team that almost qualified for the semi-finals. Now, there are new players in the squad waiting for an opportunity. They haven't played a lot of matches. This is the opportunity for them to show the other people that they are capable of playing for Bengaluru FC.
With qualification sealed, will the team be taking things a little easy?
No, we have to play our own game. That's all. The coach is the same, the players are the same and now some new players are playing. We will try our best to win the match.
How is the preparation for the semi-finals going?
It is going good. The coach has already given eight to nine players rest in the upcoming match because they have to be fresh for the semis. They have played a lot of matches consecutively. That's why they need a bit of rest.
Read the match preview here.
