Meet Chelston Pinto, FC Bengaluru United defender... and Strength & Conditioning coach

Player-coaches in football have become something of a rarity in recent times. Kenny Dalglish did it at Liverpool, Wayne Rooney at Derby County and Chelston Pinto is doing it at FC Bengaluru United.

Pinto, who hails from Mangalore, is the Strength and Conditioning coach of the I-League Second Division side, as well as their centre-back. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, he takes us through his journey in football.

“I took up strength and conditioning in case football didn’t work out. I wanted to remain involved in sport, to be around athletes and to maintain my own fitness.”

Pinto used to come to Bengaluru with his school football team for tournaments and eventually moved there for higher studies. Whilst studying at St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, he continued playing football in the Bangalore Super Division.

"The focus is more on the coaching bit for now" - Chelston Pinto

Having earned his strength and conditioning certifications, Pinto initially signed for FCBU as a player. A year later, he was handed the opportunity for his current role. So how does he balance the two?

“The focus is more on the coaching bit for now. My job is to get players up to speed with respect to the style of play we are deploying here. The physiotherapist and I take care of injury prevention protocol.”

Being part of the locker room with team-mates is one thing, but the equation changes when you are the one taking drills. 30-year-old Pinto is learning pretty quickly on the job.

“There is an important line to draw between coaching and playing. I need to first gain the respect of my team-mates and lead by example. Not as a coach or a player, but as a leader.”

The advancement of sports science is helping athletes all over the world push their limits. Getting the body ready in accordance with the demands of that particular sport is now seen as a fundamental aspect of that. Pinto believes Indian football is getting there.

“All the clubs at the highest level in India have a strength and conditioning coach, which is a positive change. Our off-season is as long as pre-season here in India so it is important for players to take care of their body.”

The use of tracking devices and data is widely used in elite football to monitor player performance. Pinto believes that technology will continue to improve training methods.

“New devices help us with better insights into player fitness. They help us give better advice to the head coach on team selection, optimal recovery and better pre-season planning.”

FC Bengaluru United may only have been established in 2018 but they seem to be on an upward trajectory. They have now made the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup 2021 and are one of the favorites for promotion to the I-League this time round.