Peter Kratky praises team progress as Mumbai City FC prepare of Sporting Club Delhi challenge in ISL 2025-26.

Sporting Club Delhi is looking for its first win against Peter Kratky’s side

Mumbai City FC will lock horns against Sporting Club Delhi on March 8, 2026 , Sunday at Mumbai Football Arena. As things stand, Sporting Delhi set their eyes on their first ever victory in the Indian Super League against The Islanders.

Ahead of the clash against the Capital of India, Mumbai City FC head coach Peter Kratky addressed the media in the pre-match press conference, reflecting the team’s preparations and the attacking form.

As we all know, March 8th is celebrated annually as International Women’s Day to honor women’s achievement and collaboration in the society. On the same day, Mumbai City FC will face off against Sporting Delhi in the ISL. In the press conference, Peter Kratky and Sahil Banwar were asked about the personal influence of women in their lives.

Influence of Women on players’ lives

March 8th is widely known as International Women’s Day, as the world celebrates the day acknowledging the important role that women play in the lives of football players, and how often they help players to maintain balance amid the pressure while playing at this level.

Kratky stated, “Everyone is different, but I think for many players the presence of their wives and mothers is very important. They bring calmness and support, especially when things are not going well. It is a very positive aspect of our lives to have these people around us. They help us stay balanced and focused. Sahil can probably explain better how it impacts him personally, but from my perspective, players need to have that support system.”

“My mother has been a huge inspiration for me”: Sahil Panwar

Sahil Panwar, the Mumbai City FC player, shared his thoughts in the press conference, crediting his mother and wife for playing a vital role in his footballing journey over the years and also in recent times. The defender described his mother as his earliest inspiration.

He said, “My mother has been a huge inspiration for me. She sacrificed a lot so that I could focus on my dream of becoming a footballer. After my marriage, my wife has also been a massive support. She has always been there for me, especially during difficult situations. Last year, when I got injured, I went through a lot mentally, physically and emotionally. During that time, she stood like a rock beside me and made many sacrifices as well, because I wasn’t at my best while recovering from the injury. I’m still working hard to play more games and become stronger. So yes, the women in my life have played a very big role. Whatever I am today is because of my mother and my wife.”

Peter Kratky on Mumbai City FC’s preparation

“The training sessions have gone very well. I’m very happy with the progress the team has made during this period. We had a good recovery time and productive training sessions. Now we will see how things go in the match tomorrow, but so far everything has been very positive.”

“Every game is different. We prepare differently depending on the opposition. We always try to adapt our players and find the best way to bring out their strengths while also countering how the opposition plays. We work on every area of the pitch, not just the wide areas.The focus is always on improving the overall performance of the team, and hopefully that will bring us success.”

Peter Kratky expects a tough test against SC Delhi

Peter Kratky praised Sporting Club Delhi’s playing style, as he pointed out that the Delhi side often starts the matches very well and looks to build attacks by playing between the lines.

“If you watch their games, they start very well, and they try to play good football. For example, in the game against FC Goa, they were very good in the first 30 minutes. They try to play between the lines and create spaces. We know their strengths, but as a coach, I have to prepare my team carefully without overloading them with too much information.It is about understanding how we want to play and how we can expose the opposition. After that, it comes down to execution.”

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