Falopa emphasises hard work for East Bengal to prosper

Kolkata: Brazilian Marcos Falopa today began his stint as the head coach of East Bengal without any big promise, simply saying that he wants to quickly adapt to the system and take the team to the "top".

"I can`t promise to make East Bengal play like Barcelona but I assure you that by sheer hard work we`ll go to the top. East Bengal is by new family, I`m really glad to be here," the 64-year-old, sporting an East Bengal jersey, told a packed press conference minutes after taking charge of the club. Falopa, who replaced Englishman Trevor Morgan as the East Bengal head coach, thanked the latter for doing a good job. "But I`ve more challenges ahead. Winning the AFC Cup quarterfinals would be the first task. We would aim to see East Bengal reach the final," Falopa said about his side`s September fixture against Semen Padang of Indonesia. A UEFA Pro License holder, Falopa, with a vast coaching experience in the Middle East and Myanmar, said people should not expect the Brazilian way of football from him. "We`ll not play like the Brazilian way but we will play like the Indians do. Don`t expect me to make things complicate by various formations like 3-5-3, 4-4-2 that sound like telephone numbers. "Yes, I`ll share my expertise but my job is to make this team adapt quickly and play like a unit. I`ve to make use of the players` ability. I`m sure we`ll achieve this with hard work and discipline," Falopa, who has a coaching experience of about 36 years, said. Falopa came with his son Americo who joined the side as goalkeeping coach-cum-physical-trainer. The pre-season training under Falopa would begin from July 15. PTI