Exclusive: I think that both ISL and I-League are important for Indian football- Eelco Schattorie

The recently appointed Kerala Blasters boss feels the I-League has the best setup for young players while the ISL has a higher level of competition.

After a brilliant season with NorthEast United under his belt, Eelco Schattorie was announced as the new head coach of Kerala Blasters FC in May. The 47-year-old has huge experience regarding Indian football for his association with multiple clubs in the past. After the debacle last season of Kerala Blasters, Schattorie was given the task of bringing the first ISL trophy to one of Indian football’s most passionate regions.

In an exclusive interview with Khel Now football, the Dutchman opened up about his move to the south Indian club, his managerial tactics in the previous season among other things.

1. What was the motivation behind joining Kerala Blasters?

Eelco: The motivation to go to Kerala is basically simple. I had a two-year contract with NorthEast United. The club cancelled that contract. We shook hands and said goodbye and the first on my path was Kerala. Their motivation, the talk that I had with the management was very good. The had a good plan, a good idea. There was a good line of communication between management and me as a coach. They gave me a very good feeling. That’s why I joined Kerala and I’m looking forward to starting and make it a fantastic journey.

2. You had previously praised the amazing support of the Northeast United fans and the part they play in your previous team's success. The fans in Kochi are known as being one of the most passionate in the country. How excited are you to play in front of them?

Eelco: Yeah, the Kerala supporters, the Manjappada (very difficult to pronounce for me), they are known for being very passionate and I do think football should be played for the supporters so I’m really looking forward to winning their trust and give them the football they deserve and they like so I’m really looking forward to making our home in Kerala. The home games, an undefeatable fortress or as I said before, an elephant, to get the power of an elephant, like the logo of Kerala that other teams are scared to come to Kerala and have our supporters behind us as our 12th man.

3. At NorthEast United you had made the most of very limited resources. Would you say you have more financial muscle at Kerala?

Eelco: See, at NorthEast United, I think it was the lowest budget, with players’ salaries so that means the total budget of the players. That does not always mean that is a problem but it is more a problem that when you want to become champion, you need to have more depth in your squad. Here at Kerala, it is not about spending big money, it is about getting the best possible players and either gets a little bit more money or less, its not that important. It’s about the overall budget for the players plus the Indians so you have a little bit of a deeper squad and we’re trying to make that happen and at the moment, I’m happy with the signings we have made. A few of the Indian players, still I am to get to know and even the second team players. So, till now I am happy and hopefully, we will make a good season with the team we have now.

Ogbeche was one of the highest scores in the ISL last season

4. Bartholomew Ogbeche has been your most significant signing so far this summer? Do you believe he can replicate previous seasons form at Kerala?

Eelco: Ogbeche is of course a good signing. He was an extension of me in the field last year. We have a good relationship, we have a good communication and of course, he has to prove himself also here in Kerala, that’s not easy. It’s a different club, maybe higher expectations but Bat has enough experience and the team is not only because of Bart, we have other good signings. Very happy with the two guys from Jamshedpur, from Delhi, another Ductchman, Gianni Zuiverloon, who is a very experienced centre-back. So, till now, our signings are good so hopefully they can form and gel together with the Indians and make it a very strong team.

5. What other areas of the squad you looking to strengthen?

Eelco: I think in all teams, for example, Jamshedpur last year they had some problems with scoring goals. I think also for Kerala it was a little bit of an issue. Hopefully, with Bart, we have covered that and the rest I am trying to build a team that I think fits best together and the weaknesses that are there, I can point that out because there are also some Indian players that I still don’t know that well but they were signed by the club, by Ishfaq, that I trust and I am sure that these are good signings and I am looking forward to start working with them but from what I can see, we have a good strong squad and we don’t have weaknesses.

Rehenesh has been a long serving member of NorthEast United

6. In the goalkeeping department, with Dheeraj leaving for ATK do you think young Bilal Khan can step as your first' choice?

Eelco: The goalkeepers, that’s a separate department. We are getting TP from NorthEast. I worked with him last year. I think TP is a great goalkeeper, the other goalkeeper I still have to get to know. In this case, Bilal Khan. But we need to bring in a good goalkeeper coach who will put these boys under pressure so that they learn something and the best goalkeeper from the three we have, will be put in goal. The only one I really know is TP. The other ones I have to get to know better. That’s part of the job. I’m sure they are going to do a good job.

7. You're a veteran of Indian football with experience in I-League and ISL at many different clubs. How do you think this can help at your latest stint?

Eelco: I’m not a veteran of Indian football. I’ve been here one whole season. Actually, two, with NorthEast last year. Of course, I’ve had a few stints here but, in the end, every new job is important again im getting into a new part of india. In this case the south of India and wherever you go, you have new challenges and maybe a little different culture that you need to get to know, but I am always somebody who basically can adapt very well to the environment. So yeah, being in India before is an advantage but at the same time, football stays football and you have to prove yourself every time. So yeah, it is an advantage but I do not think it is that important as it has more to do with people management but the football itself, you need to follow your own principles and do what you always do.

8. How you compare and contrast ISL and I-League?

Eelco: It’s not that important. I do think that both leagues need to help each other. I think that the I-League is a perfect set up for players to for young talents to breathe, to become better players. I-League should not disappear. It is the same like you have a first and a second division. I think that in this case, the ISL is the highest level because you also have more foreigners in each team so the level is higher but I do think that both are important for the development of Indian football.

9. Following the acquisition of Ogbeche can we expect you to sign any more high profile forwards this summer?

Eelco: I cannot fully answer, because we are still in the process of recruiting some players. I think we have our main striker upfront and who’s going to play behind that, we are still working out so I don’t want to go into details there. For now, very happy that we have Bart and hopefully we can strengthen the team a bit more. That could be with another midfielder, with another striker, we will see. The future will see which direction we are going to go.

10. Given Kerala Blasters' failure to win ISL so far, do you consider this as your toughest challenge yet?

Eelco: Kerala never won the ISL. Reached the finals two times. Yeah, Jurgen Klopp did not win many finals and finally won one. Football has nothing to do with the past. NorthEast United, four times, did not reach the playoffs, this year we reached it. So, I don’t see that as my toughest challenge to reach the final. Every club, every year wants to reach the final and wants to become champion, so do we. So, it is not an extra burden or an extra challenge. We are going to start from zero. In this case, I am going to start from zero with Kerala blasters and build it to the highest possible success and hopefully that is the championship like every other club is trying to do.

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11. At NorthEast you adopted the most pragmatic approach given the limited resources. Can you expect your team to play expansive fashion this season?

Eelco: Sometimes it is about winning in the end, if you go watch some games of NorthEast United, we dominated all games even against the champions, Benguluru. But sometimes, you need that extra quality to finish it and I think even in NorthEast United we played a brand of football that was by many seen as a good combination based football but sometimes when you have injuries or lesser qualities, you have to opt and that does not complete the full picture. People don’t see that if you don’t finish it, you play beautiful combination football and you don’t finish it with a goal, then people forget it. So, I don’t think it is going to be different from NorthEast but hopefully we have a little more quality in the depth of the squad, then you have more option to finish games because we also drew a lot of games with NorthEast but it had to do with certain qualities and sometimes, missing some players.

12. A message for the Manjapaada faithful?

Eelco: Like I said before, the only thing that I will try to do is to bring a brand of football that the supporters will enjoy. I’m progressive, I like to attack but in the end, I also think it is about winning so there has to be a little pragmatism inside it but in the end, you play football for the supporters, so we are going to try to not sit back but go forward, specially in our home games and try to win every single game.

13. Your favourite Indian young player?

Eelco: I have to choose Sahal at this moment, because he is in my team. I like him already from last year. As I said before, I shall try to bring him to higher heights because he is very creative. He is one of the players in India, there are a lot of good players. Players that stand out, for instance is the one from Jamshedpur who went to ATK, the winger, I’ve lost his name now (Soosairaj), he is very creative and has a creative mind, the same with Sahal. In the past, it was always Cavin Lobo, that type of players because they bring excitement to football.

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14. Why are Kerala Blasters signing foreign players with ISL experience when the trend has been those struggling in their next club? (Eg: Kalu Uche, Alfaro, Lanzarote, Everton Santos)

Eelco: You sign players that are good for your team and that also means that it is easy to do some background check up or you also know players from last season where you know the qualities so you go for what you know, signing players that have never been in India is always a possibility but then you need to do a proper background check and that and that they fit the culture and that they are willing to come to India etc. There are a lot of players who are free but I am not interested in bringing players who are in India but they did not deliver. I like players that delivered in India. In this case, Zuiverloon, he did a very good job as a strong defender who is also good in playing football, Ogbeche speaks for himself, the goals that he scored, the two guys from Jamshedpur, they showed a work rate, even an ability to score goals and give assists. If you have something that is already used to playing in India and have quality, then why would you look outside. Some, they still have a decent age, still young or even the proper age, all these things count. But if we don’t find it in India, we look outside.