The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 has turned a new chapter for Kolkata football, with Mohammedan Sporting Club getting promoted to the top-tier. The current campaign of the ISL is seeing three giants from the City of Joy, i.e. Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC, and Mohammedan SC plying their trade in the league.

It is a historic first for the league and has added a new flavour to the city’s favourite Kolkata Derbies, with three such high-octane clashes amongst the arch-rivals having already taken place this term. As the season has entered the international break, Mohammedan SC head coach Andrey Chernyshov has had ample time to reflect upon the challenges that come with the ISL. His team has garnered a victory and two draws in their seven matches thus far, edging Chennaiyin FC by 1-0 to get their historic maiden ISL win – and even holding FC Goa and East Bengal FC to respectable draws.

“Derbies are always special experiences”

“We understand how strong a competition the ISL is. We are playing against many good players from India who play for the national team. We are playing against several good foreigners. We haven’t spoken about winning, being second, being third, or in the middle of the table with the players. Right now, we need to take a feeling and experience from the ISL. We want to fight in every match, be good, show nice football, and do our best in every match,” Chernyshov said in a discussion with the ISL.

Mohammedan SC have had a mixed bag of results in the Kolkata Derbies so far. The first one against the reigning ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant was a difficult affair as they ended up facing a 3-0 defeat. However, the team got their act together against East Bengal FC earlier this month, fighting tooth and nail to secure a goalless draw and go into the break with another point to their name. With several takeaways from the aforementioned outcomes, they will be definitely better prepared for the remaining derbies this season.

“Derbies are always special experiences. As a player, I played so many derbies in my footballing career in Russia. I know it’s a special feeling. You want to be in the top in these matches and make your fans happy. Our supporters want to see Kolkata in the black and white colours of Mohammedan SC. You need to concentrate more and be very strong,” Chernyshov said.

He added, “It’s a really nice feeling and we are happy in the moment because we are travelling other cities and playing good teams, in good stadiums, on good grounds. We know how important it is for the ISL and for the supporters who come for these games.”

“We need the positive energy of our fans”

Chernyshov, much like the whole Mohammedan SC setup, is counting big on crowd support to produce better results in the coming few months. This being their first tryst with the ISL, the fans rallying behind the team can inspire them to put their best foot forward, especially in home matches – though the tactician has made an earnest appeal to their away fans to flock whichever stadium the team plays in too. The coach is not giving a stringent outline of their ambitions for this season, but is guaranteeing 100% efforts on the field by his players in every game from hereon.

“I want to tell our supporters that they are the best. We wait for them in every match. We need them. We need their positive energy, their support. I cannot promise that we will be the first or second in the season, but I can promise them that we will give our best in every match because our players like this club and the supporters and the fans need to give us this energy in every match – not only in the home games, but also when we travel for the away matches. We need to be together like never before in this championship,” he signed off.

Mohammedan SC return to action after the international break when they host league leaders Bengaluru FC on November 27. Whilst it promises to be a tough challenge against the well-oiled Gerard Zaragoza-coached unit, the ISL debutants can work cohesively towards springing a surprise and taking it one day, one game at a time from there.