25000 kms in three weeks, 34 hours in flight and Buses: Sreenidi Deccan coach Carlos Vaz Pinto speaks on I-League Challenges

Add as a preferred source on Google

Sreenidi Deccan coach Carlos Vaz Pinto is hoping to relaunch their bid for the I-League title after a decent outing in the Kalinga Super Cup, but has opened up on the challenges that the second-tier league brings to all the clubs.

Sreenidi Deccan finished their Super Cup campaign with a victory over Hyderabad FC in the first-ever Hyderabad Derby on Friday (January 19).

A historical victory means the second-tier club finish third in Group A with three points. Now their focus shifts to the I-League as Sreenidi Deccan will be hoping to cement their status in the top flight next season.

The fight for the promotion to ISL is getting intense. Sreenidi Deccan are just seven points behind from the top-placed team Mohammedan SC, and will be vying to bridge the gap in the second half of the season.

They will take a lot of positives from the Kalinga Super Cup though. They lost narrowly against East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, and then blew away rivals Hyderabad FC 4-1 in the final match on Friday.

But the Portuguese coach depicted the tough reality that clubs deal with when playing in the I-League.

"I-League is not like ISL. The conditions are different, play and travel every three or four days, which is not easy. Some teams play eight matches at home and three away in the first half, and it is completely different in the second round. But if we can play like last season, we can do well," Vaz Pinto said after the Hyderabad win.

The difficulty is quite enormous as the players cover thousands of miles in a span of a few weeks. And Vaz Pinto opened up on their gruesome schedule which takes a toll on all the players and the staff.

"It is difficult. We played six consecutive matches away. In three weeks, we travelled 25000 kms and spent 34 hours in bus or flight. It's not easy for the whole squad. What I guess is good for us is that we have improved. But I-League can be fairer. If we play alternate matches home and away, it can be better. Because if one team plays six matches away, and the other team plays four matches at home, it gives an unfair advantage. But you have to be ready to compete," the Sreenidi Deccan coach elaborated.

The Portuguese, who has been a revelation for Sreenidi Deccan since taking over the charges in 2022, will be hoping for a turnaround in the second half of the I-league as they lock horns against Churchill Brothers on February 4.