"Ivan told me already that it's something special" - Chennaiyin FC coach Thomas Brdaric 'excited' for ISL 2022-23 visit to Kerala Blasters FC

Chennaiyin FC coach Thomas Brdaric has said that he and his side are looking forward to their ISL 2022-23 derby encounter against Kerala Blasters FC. The two teams will lock horns in the latter's home city of Kochi on Tuesday (February 7).

The JNI Stadium in Kochi has long been renowned for its incredible atmosphere. Fans of the Blasters often make their team's games a spectacle to behold with their sheer number, noise and craze. Given the game on Tuesday is a southern derby, the setting is expected to be just as pulsating.

Brdaric, who joined Chennaiyin at the start of the campaign, is looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere. He said that Kerala Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic has already told him what the feeling of overseeing a game in Kochi would be like. Brdaric said during his pre-match press conference:

"I'm looking forward to the atmosphere in the stadium tomorrow. We have to switch off the surroundings and be focused on our job. It's also my task to give that setting to players to just be focused on the field and our matchplan, to use the atmosphere to our advantage."

He continued:

"I'm very excited to play tomorrow in this stadium. Ivan told me already that it's something special, that I can't address the player or give them instructions during the game - I have to work in really good detail before the game."

The Chennaiyin coach, a former player who plied his trade in the Bundesliga and competed in the UEFA Champions League, is no stranger to hostile crowds. He said that they gave him a boost on the pitch during his playing days and preached for his players to remain focused on their job:

"For me, it doesn't matter if we play in front of less attendance or more. I used to play in stadiums with a lot of attendance, and it pushed me in a good way in matches. We have to be prepared and professional, doesn't matter if it's less people or more. If it's an atmosphere like tomorrow, we should enjoy it on the one side and also work hard."

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"Sometimes, I can't believe we are in eighth place" - Thomas Brdaric on Chennaiyin FC's season so far

Chennaiyin FC enter their contest against Kerala Blasters FC on a seven-game winless run (five draws, two defeats). Their last win came on December 10 against dead-bottom NorthEast United FC, winning 7-3.

The Marina Machans enter their gamein Kochi eighth in the ISL standings, seven points behind sixth-placed Bengaluru FC. Thomas Brdaric's men have made significant mistakes and have had defensive lapses in games but have also expressed their displeasure with the officiating in some games.

Brdaric reflected on the season so far when asked about the motivation in the team with four league games to go. He said:

"Sometimes, I can't believe we're in eighth place with the football we're playing - creating chances, scoring. Sometimes, we've been a bit unlucky with referee's decisions. But we have to check those off and analyze everything as professionals."

He added:

"We are always motivated because we're a team that's trying to learn this season and to be strong together for the future. We need all competitions like the game tomorrow for our experience. We had some bad luck in our last matches, but tomorrow is another challenge, another opponent."

The Chennaiyin coach once again reiterated his desire to build a team for the future, a common theme in his press conferences throughout this season:

"We have to keep going. We are building a new CFC for the future, and of course, it's painful, but we have to be mentally very strong, and we're working on that. We try to inflict a defeat on Kerala tomorrow, and that's why we are here."

Chennaiyin and Kerala Blasters notably met in the first match of the former's aforementioned seven-game run, which ended 1-1 on December 19.