Delhi Dynamos unveil Zambrotta as new chief coach

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Delhi Dynamos on Tuesday unveiled Italian football great Gianluca Zambrotta as their chief coach for the third edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) later this year.

The 2006 World Cup winner has coaching experience of more than a year having served as a player-cum-assistant coach at Swiss club Chiasso before being a head coach there since 2014 summer till his sacking in April, 2015.

Dynamos, last year coached by Brazil and Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos, lost in the semi-finals to FC Goa. They failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the inaugural edition of ISL in 2014.

Zambrotta played 98 times for Italy, including three European Championships and three FIFA World Cups.

A robust defender during his playing days, he represented top European clubs like Juventus (1999-2006), Barcelona (2006-08) and AC Milan (2008-12).

"My primary goal will be to win trophies. Last year, we lost in the semi-finals. This year we will aim to win. We want to take part in the Asian Championships and win there too, so that we can turn into Indian football into a global force," Zambrotta told the media on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old former AC Milan star couldn't hide his pleasure at being in India despite his long haul flight from Milan.

"I am very happy to be here in India. It was always on my list of things to do and now being here and getting a chance to work with such a great club is a dream come true. I am very thankful to Prashant (Aggarwal, Dynamos' CEO) and the entire Dynamos family for giving me this chance," Zambrotta said, addressing the Indian media for the first time.

One of the most versatile players of his era, Zambrotta has tasted success at both club and international level. He will be at the helm of Delhi Dynamos for two years, havin g replaced Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos.

Zambrotta pointed out that his first task would be to build a team that is capable of winning the league title.

"I will have a meeting with the management and put together a balanced side. My aim will be make the boys play attacking football while having a strong and organized defence. I also want to instil a sense of team spirit among the players," he said.

Incidentally, Zambrotta's former teammate Alessandro Del Piero was part of the Dynamos' team in the first edition of the ISL and he credits him for his decision to join the club.

"I spoke to del Piero when this offer came. He gave me a lot of inputs about the league and the club's vision. It provides with a great opportunity as a coach and I am really looking forward to this challenge," the former Juventus defender said.

--IANS

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