FC Pune City head coach Franco Colomba and captain Bruno Cirillo cut confident figures at the pre-match press conference on the eve of their game against second-placed Chennaiyin FC. The two teams shared the points in a 1-1 draw on November 11 in Pune, and the Pune City camp expects another tough game in Chennai.Colomba used the opportunity to quell any doubts over the fitness of marquee player David Trezeguet, who has not featured in the last three games. The Italian gaffer asserted that Trezeguet’s absence was simply a way to ensure he remains fit throughout the season, given the packed fixture list. “I think it’s normal for a team to make changes, because we play every three or four days,” Colomba said.The head coach also gushed about his new signings, English winger Jermaine Pennant and Hungarian midfielder Kristián Vadócz. Both made their debuts in Pune’s previous game, against NorthEast in Guwahati. Pennant brings a strong pedigree having played for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Stoke City in England, among other clubs, as well as having had a stint in Spain with Real Zaragoza, and Colomba was delighted that he could call on the winger for Pune City’s remaining matches.“Jermaine is a very big player; he’s played in very strong teams,” Colomba said. “He has the pace and the quality to grow and develop other young players.”Vadócz’s arrival is slightly clouded by the fact that he has been signed as a replacement for the injured John Goosens, who had quickly become a key player for Pune before picking up a rib injury against Atlético de Kolkata on November 7 which ultimately ruled him out for the season. However, Colomba was happy to have Vadócz in his squad, and the Hungarian impressed after coming on as a substitute against NorthEast United.“He’s a very good player,” emphasised Colomba, before citing his versatility as a key attribute. “He can play in different positions on the pitch.” He went on to add, “For us, he is a good signing.”One of the players who has been in the Pune City squad since the beginning of the season also came in for praise. Keeper Arindam Bhattacharya, who was pressed into action due to an injury to first-choice custodian Emanuele Belardi, has kept his spot in the side ever since due to his performance. And Colomba was quick to talk up the 25-year-old, saying, “I think he’s a very good goalkeeper. He’s taking his chance well and you can see his quality.”Colomba was also probed on the increased number of draws being seen in the ISL in recent matches, but the Italian did not seem too stressed. “A draw is one of three results in a match,” he said matter-of-factly. Continuing in the same vein, he added, “Football is a sport in which you need one goal to win. But, it’s not easy to score.”Stand-in captain Cirillo, who has been wearing the armband in Trezeguet’s absence, was asked whether there were any pointers from the November 11 encounter against Chennaiyin which Pune City could take into this game. He cited the openness of the previous game as a source of concern. “I think we must be more careful,” Cirillo stated. “It was an open game for both teams.”Although the key man in the opposition ranks is marquee player Elano, who is far and away the league’s leading scorer at the moment, Cirillo was aware that the Chennaiyin attack is blessed with many dangerous options, apart from the Brazilian. Colombian John Stiven Mendoza has caught the eye in particular with his all-action performances and his skill and trickery on the ball, and Cirillo acknowledged that Pune City would have to be at their best to stop the winger.“I think Chennai have a very good player up front. We must be very careful and we must concentrate,” the Italian defender said.
