"It is a great responsibility" - Head coach Andrey Chernyshov on returning to Mohammedan SC ahead of I-League 2023-24

Mohammedan SC have tried to rewind the clock, in a manner of speaking, by re-appointing their former head coach Andrey Chernyshov ahead of the forthcoming I-League season.

Although the Kolkata giants were coached by former India international and Mohammedan player Mehrajuddin Wadoo in the Durand Cup last month, the club management decided to part ways with the Kashmiri after the tournament ended.

Chernyshov was recalled to the club that he had coached last in 2021-22. Although he was quite successful in his previous tenure, the Russian will be geared up to garner even more support this time around.

A burly, six-foot-three former centre-back, who plied his trade for Moscow biggies Dynamo and Spartak along with Sturm Graz in Austria, Chernyshov was also called up several times for the Soviet Union and later, Russia.

Chernyshov's eyes, as he sits down for an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, appear to be burning with the desire to do well this season and guide Mohammedan SC towards the I-League title.

A man of few words, the 55-year-old seems to be a believer in the phrase 'work hard in silence, and let success do the noise.' The I-League season, slated to begin in the last week of October, is still some time away, and Mohammedan seem to be working hard towards creating an impact.

It will not be easy for them, given the sort of competition that they will face from the heavyweights Sreenidi Deccan, Gokulam Kerala and Aizawl FC, but Chernyshov is unfazed.

Here are the excerpts of his interview with us:

Q. Congratulations on being appointed the manager of Mohammedan. This is your second tenure at the club. How does it feel?

Chernyshov: Thank you very much. I am very pleased to be in such a big club like Mohammedan SC again. There are a lot of good people here with whom I enjoy working. I am sure that it will be a lot of fun, given the sort of environment that we have. Mohammedan SC is a top club and we will look to fight for top honours again.

Q. What did you learn from your previous tenure here that you will be willing to implement this time around?

Chernyshov: I have always felt that any previous work gives us a lot of experience. But you can never predict what awaits you in the future.

One of the things that I realized from my last stint here in Calcutta is that Indian footballers are very hardworking. I also feel that they are extremely talented and they can play good football. These are my learnings from my previous tenure at the club.

Q. Mohammedan is a club with a rich heritage in Indian football. How does it make you feel to be involved with a club with so much history?

Chernyshov: I think that it is a great honour and great responsibility to work at this club. As with honour, responsibility always follows, and I am looking forward to repaying the people who have brought me here. It will be a good challenge for me, I think.

Working here, I want to achieve good results in order to go down in the history of the club.

Q. How is your preseason training going on? Are you happy with what you have seen so far?

Chernyshov: I am pleased with how the players are training and how they have accepted my ideas. This is the key in football. For any coach to come in, the players have to accept his ideas and buy into his philosophy wholeheartedly.

I think that is happening quite well here at Mohammedan. Now that we have a very difficult schedule, there will be fewer training sessions (every coach wants a lot of practice) and more games.

Q. You arrived after the club bowed out of the Durand Cup. Are you pleased with the amount of time you have got for preparation?

Chernyshov: Look, it is obvious. I like it when there is more time to prepare for the season, and I think every coach does so.

However, it is what it is. We cannot control how these things are. The fact is that now there is less time, and that means we have to work very, very hard.

Andrey Chernyshov arriving in Calcutta (Credits: Mohammedan SC)

Q. Are you happy with the signings that the club has made this transfer window? The club finished in the eighth position in the I-League last season. What are Mohammedan’s goals this time around?

Chernyshov: At the moment, the club has signed all the players we need, and I’m happy about that. The management has been kind enough to accept my requests. I want my team to play beautiful football and achieve good results. We strive for this kind of football.

Results are not always the go-to marker for me. Mohammedan SC always sets the highest goals. My goal is to take the club to a higher place in the league table than last season.

Q. Is Mohammedan SC ready to win the I-League and get promoted into the ISL?

Chernyshov: As I said, Mohammedan SC always aims to achieve the highest goals. That is how I like to work as well. The environment here is fantastic, and I am loving every moment. We will try to go as high as possible in the standings.

Everyone wants to win the championship, and we want to do that too. I know that the fans are desperate for us to succeed, but the most important thing for us now is to create a strong team.

Q. Tell us a bit about your playing days. You have played for all the big clubs in Moscow, as well as represented Russia. What have these experiences taught you?

Chernyshov: When I played football, I had a great time, and I always remember those days with pleasure. But a player's experiences don't help much in coaching; that's something completely different. This is something that I have learnt the hard way.

You cannot bring up your ways of playing football and ask a youngster to do the same. It's an entirely different generation now, and the lads have a different mindset. The hunger to win, however, remains the same, and that is what I intend to work on.

Q. You have managed Russia U-21 and been assistant coach to the Russian senior team in the past. Do you feel these experiences will help you succeed here in India?

Chernyshov: Any work that I did before certainly helps me now. I took some things with me for the future, and some I left behind because they were unnecessary. And that is the way of life, I feel.

You cannot take everything with you thinking that it will help you; there will be a few things that you have to discard - unlearn if you like - in order to succeed in a different place with a different culture.

Q. What is the biggest challenge for you at Mohammedan? Does the difference in culture in India play a big role?

Chernyshov: We have very good management at the club. They take very good care of the club, the team and the players. They provide everything we need for our work. This is heartening because very few clubs in India are able to get this.

I feel truly blessed to be working with Mohammedan because of this. This shows how big a club Mohammedan SC is. I believe that in terms of the level of organization, our club is worthy of ISL.

Q. How do you spend your time away from football? What are your thoughts on the city of Calcutta and its people?

Chernyshov: I like to go to the shopping centre and drink a good cup of tea. I also like to eat delicious food in a cosy place. You may laugh at this, but football is my hobby.

I like this city; there are a lot of nice places and greenery around. There are a lot of cosy cafes too. The people here are very nice and friendly.

Q. Finally, a message for the fans of Mohammedan SC.

Chernyshov: I want to wish the fans of Mohammedan SC all the best. I would also ask them to always support the team and to believe in the players. Good results will surely come our way if they flock to the stadium and cheer for us.

The players need their support, and we will do our best to give the fans a lot to cheer about.