FC Pune City assemble in Turkey for pre-season

The team will kick off their ISL campaign in the Maharashtra derby

Pune:

As a part of their pre-season training and conditioning, the Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Hrithik Roshan co-owned Indian Super League team FC Pune City have commenced their preparations at state-of-the-art facilities of Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Turkey under the watchful eyes of head coach David Platt.

Gloria Sports Arena is a modern sports complex with indoor, outdoor and aquatic sports facilities for over 50 different sports disciplines. Built on 105,000 sq.m. in Belek-Antalya-Turkey, it also houses a 6800 sq.m. indoor sports complex including a multipurpose sports hall with telescopic tribunes. The 35,000 sq.m. outdoor facilities include a stadium for 1600 spectators and various sports fields.

“To be the best, you have to train at the best. Gloria Sports Arena possibly has the best sports training facilities in the world. From the feedback that I am getting, the head coach, support staff and players are all impressed with their ongoing stint in Turkey. We couldn’t think of a better way to get ready for the 2015 season,” explained club’s CEO Mr. Gaurav Modwel.

This is the phase two of FC Pune City’s pre-season training plans. In the first phase, a preseason conditioning was conducted at the team’s home ground at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune just for the Indian players. In Antalya, the entire squad, including the foreign signings, has assembled with Platt at the helm of the affairs.

Platt too had high praise for the facilities and had encouraging words for the Indian players. “The facilities here are top notch and as good as anywhere in the world. It’s nice for me to get my boots on again and enjoy my stint with the assembled squad. I am delighted with the attitude of players and their appetite to work hard. I had heard so much about the so-called limitations of domestic players, but none of that was in evidence here,” said Platt.

Team’s marquee player Adrian Mutu too was pleasantly surprised with the pre-season camp in Turkey. “Gloria Sports Arena matches some of the top preseason facilities that I have come across. The team’s gelling well and the coach and the support staff is ensuring that the team comes back to Pune with top notch fitness levels,” said Mutu.

The squad will train in Antalya until September 10, 2015. Post that, the Platt-managed team will be back in Pune for the final phase of training before the season starts for the club against state rivals Mumbai FC at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on October 5, 2015.