ISL 2017: In conversation with Bollywood superstar and FC Pune City co-owner Arjun Kapoor and club CEO Gaurav Modwel

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Arjun Kapoor with his troops (Image courtesy: FC Pune City)

With an almost entirely new squad, FC Pune City have roped in a new manager and co-owner in the form of Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor for the new season of the Indian Super League. A major overhaul has been achieved at the club with stability only coming in the form of the owners - the Wadhawan group and its CEO Gaurav Modwel. 

After an eventful draft where they managed to get some exciting foreign talents on board, FC Pune City have the firepower to reach the knockout stages this time around - the first time in ISL history. Recently, the club unveiled their home and away kits for the upcoming campaign and also launched the new club anthem titled, "Aag ho" (Be the fire). 

Sportskeeda caught up with Arjun Kapoor and club CEO Gaurav Modwel to discuss various issues pertaining to the Stallions, the influence of a celebrity and the efforts taken by the club to reduce the divide between the owners and the supporters. Here are a few excerpts from the interview: 

Arjun Kapoor:

Q. As a co-owner and also a supporter of FC Pune City, how are you planning to motivate the boys ahead of the next season? 

AK: The players have a point to prove and are hungry for success. They are themselves highly motivated to perform at the highest level. You need the energy of the city and its people for a football team to be successful and that's where I come in. I'm hoping that my interaction with the fans and the people will help me draw bigger crowds at our stadium which will, in turn, help it to become a fortress. As a fan, there is no bigger joy for me than football and I have told all my players that I'm living my dream vicariously through them. 

Q. What impact does celebrity association bring to an ISL club? 

AK: See, all the celebrities that are involved in the ISL such as John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan are passionate about the sport. We are not looking at this as a business opportunity, we care about the game and want to be involved as much as possible. ISL is operating at a high level now with the infrastructure, telecasting and financial viability at its peak. I want to latch onto that and hopefully make Pune a footballing centre. A popular figure has to embed himself in a club and consider the fans an integral part of it to make the partnership work and that is my aim. 

Q. What efforts are you planning to put in, in order to bridge the gap between the ownership and the fan base? 

AK: My interaction with the fans at the kit launch was the starting point. I personally have made some plans for better interaction between us and the supporters but I will disclose them as we go further in the season. I'm going to try and be present in as many games as possible and will also be visible at the grassroots levels - at the academy and with the players. My main aim will be to engage more fans with the team and make FC Pune City a strong unit.

Q. What has been your early assessment of the coach and the players? 

AK: I have been impressed by the business that has been done by the club to put together a strong team. The coach is eager to make his mark in the league. For me, there are no favourites in the league this time around and hence we can be extra confident about going all the way. 

Q. What do you have to say about Antonio Conte's uncertain future at the club and the season so far? 

AK: I find it extremely silly that Conte is even close to receiving the sack. The number of matches have increased from the past season which obviously is going to affect the current campaign. Conte is a smart manager and people tend to forget that he won the league last season. He brought a new style to England, with his 3-4-3 formation yielding instant success. The board needs to be patient with him as the club and Conte look to be a perfect match. 

For the season so far, we have been a bit unlucky in the Premier League. I don't think that was a red card for Gary Cahill against Burnley which made us lose three points. But against AS Roma, we were completely outplayed and deserved to lose. We are still fourth in the league despite our main man, N'Golo Kante being injured in the recent past.

FC Pune City's CEO, Gaurav Modwel then joined us for a quick chat: 

Q. Your thoughts on the upcoming season? 

GM: The fourth season is bigger and better. This is surely a step up from all the previous campaigns. I'm very excited for us and also loving our new anthem. The jersey looks to be another brilliant offering from Adidas. I hope our partnership continues to grow. Also, I am happy to have Arjun Kapoor on board as his spontaneity and engagement will surely help the team. 

Q. How important was it to bring a popular figure like Arjun Kapoor on board? 

GM: It has to be seen as a marketing move. Pune is not a natural football-loving city. The scene is changing with each passing year but we needed to make extra efforts to rope in people from different walks of life to make the side more engaging and popular. It is a challenge that we are looking forward to and bringing Arjun in was a step taken in the direction of making Pune a footballing city. 

Q. Your thoughts on Arjun Kapoor? 

GM: Arjun is not in this just for the sake of it, he understands the game and the nuances of running a club. He spent a lot of time today with the players and the coach and also enquired about the practice games. I think our partnership will go a long way in making FC Pune City a strong, successfully run football club.

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