After almost signing him in the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) last year, FC Pune City snapped up forward Adrian Mutu as their marquee player for the second edition of the ISL, which begins on October 3
Adrian Mutu
After almost signing him in the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) last year, FC Pune City snapped up forward Adrian Mutu as their marquee player for the second edition of the ISL, which begins on October 3.
Adrian Mutu. Pic/Getty Images
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"There were a lot of bureaucratic problems last season, so I didn't get my visa on time. I'm coming to India now, this is something new. It's a different culture. My aim is to help my team do better than last year (finished sixth in eight-team league).
I didn't see the matches of the inaugural edition, just saw a few video clips," Mutu told mid-day over the phone from Romania's capital Bucharest yesterday.
Mutu played for Romanian club Petrolul Ploiesti last season and has been training with the legendary Gheorghe Hagi's club FC Viitorul Constanta to keep fit. The 36-year-old forward added that he could retire and become a coach once his ISL stint ends.
"Maybe I'll retire after my stint with FC Pune City. It depends on how I feel and what motivates me to continue playing football in the future. I would like to be a coach. It'll be a pleasure to be a coach in the ISL," he said.
Chequered career
Mutu has had a chequered career that has taken him through European heavyweights like Juventus, Inter Milan and Chelsea. He was fired by the London club in 2004 after testing positive for cocaine.
However, the Romanian has no regrets. "I'm very happy with my playing career this far," he said. CEO of the Pune franchise, Gaurav Modwel, said the franchise had no concerns about the player however. "As our coach (David Platt) said earlier today during the unveiling, people make mistakes in their lives.
When it's footballers, it gets amplified manifold because they are in the public eye. Off late, you wouldn't have heard anything negative about him. He's matured a lot now," he said before adding that a decision on the team's captaincy will be taken later.
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