Mumbai: History beckons Bengaluru FC as the club stand on the verge of winning the AFC Cup. The club has already made history by qualifying for the finals.
No Indian side has ever reached this far. Bengaluru's CK Vineeth is well and truly prepared for the final showdown against Iraq's Airforce Club on November 5. The striker says the team is under no pressure.
"There’s no pressure. We’ve been taking each game as it comes and the message from the coach has always been to go out and be brave. Every game so far has been important and we know that this is an opportunity to create history and make the country proud, so we’re only looking forward to putting on another good performance on the pitch," Vineeth told Deccan Chronicle ahead of the final.
Sunil Chhetri scored twice in the 3-1 win against defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim to lead the team to the finals. But before the semifinal tie, it was Vineeth's solitary goal against Tampines Rovers that took the team past the quarterfinals.
The 28-year-old says it's an honour to share the pitch with the India and Bengaluru skipper.
"Sunil is like a brother to me, on and off the pitch. He is a leader and it is an honour to share the pitch with him every day. About the partnership, we’re both hungry for goals and sometimes we help each other in that endeavor. But, as always the team comes first and it’s the result that matters."
Vineeth also shed light on the new system brought in by Albert Roca as compared to that of the previous coach Ashley Westwood.
"There’s a lot of hard work involved in the new system that the coach has brought in. We had a few practice games and the results didn’t always go our way, but the players believed and adjusted to the new roles and here we are. We’re playing faster football, making spaces in between the opposition defence and it’s been exciting for me."
The striker, who hails from Kannur says he has found a 'family' at the I-League champions.
"BFC is like family to me now. The people at the club; the coaches, the management, the supporters are very involved and it gives us players a reason to perform well on the pitch. The last three years have been amazing and I hope it long continues."
Back home in Kerala, the Bengaluru sensation is often compared to Indian football legend IM Vijayan, who also hails from the same state. The humble Vineeth, however, doesn't want to be dragged into such comparisons.
"It means a lot to be compared to someone like IM Vijayan, but that’s it. He’s the reason I took up the game, but I don’t think I’ll ever be the player he was. He’s a legend and will always be someone I look up to."
