Gerard Zaragoza eyes Bengaluru FC’s youngsters to Step Up ahead of Odisha FC clash in ISL

The Blues currently sit at the top of the ISL standings.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza exuded confidence in his team’s mix of youth and experience ahead of their upcoming gameweek 10 clash against Odisha FC.

While praising veteran star Sunil Chhetri for his recent performances, he shared his thoughts on how the young talents can drive the team’s performance this season.

The Blues are coming on the back of a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Mohammedan SC. Chhetri played an instrumental part in the two crucial goals for his side after coming on as a substitute and was the difference between the sides.

Ahead of the important game against the Juggernauts, Gerard Zaragoza shared his thoughts about the challenges ahead and his star man Chhetri.

Sunil Chhetri is the ultimate motivator claims Gerard Zaragoza

The Spanish head coach was quick to praise Sunil Chhetri after another one of his signature match-winning performances at age 40. Gerard Zaragoza was quick to acknowledge that motivating Sunil Chhetri is a task he never has to worry about. Unlike Sunil is always the man who motivates others.

While talking about the ISL’s all-time leading scorer, Gerard Zaragoza stated, “You don’t need to motivate Sunil. He is motivating alone. He can motivate the team. The only thing that he wants is to win everything that he tries. As I say always, he is the first one to try to win the first exercise of the training sessions. He wants to win all training sessions and that brings this extra motivation to all the players, to all of us.”

Chhetri’s rejuvenated form is a pivotal sign for Bengaluru FC this season, as Zaragoza hopes his captain’s momentum continues throughout the entire campaign. The Indian icon’s leadership, both on and off the pitch, has created an environment where his younger teammates are not only thriving but also learning from one of the finest Indian footballing talents.

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Gerard Zaragoza is feeling lucky about the youth

The Spaniard also heaped praise on Bengaluru’s young talents, including Lalremtluanga Fanai, Vinith Venkatesh, and Siva Sakthi Narayan for their contributions this season. While talking about the younger member stepping up, he stated, “They are so motivated, it’s good to see. I always say that it’s more interesting to see our training than the games. The quality of the training is unbelievable. They are getting better and better every day.”

He added that the influence of experienced players like Chhetri extends beyond matches. Zaragoza feels that with their work ethic on the training ground, the veteran players of the squad are setting benchmarks for the youngsters to follow. This unique blend of experience and youth is key to ensuring sustained success for Bengaluru FC and is an asset for Gerard Zaragoza this season.

With the Blues looking to establish an unassailable lead on top of the table with a win over Odisha FC in matchweek 10, the team’s ability to grind out results is a good sign. The progress this season for Bengaluru FC will heavily depend on how effectively the young players can shoulder responsibilities alongside veterans like Sunil Chhetri, Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Edgar Mendez.

The Spaniard’s faith in his squad, coupled with his captain Sunil Chhetri’s determination signals that Bengaluru FC’s are gonna be a hard out for any team this season.

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