The Blues’ Venezuelan Hitman Miku Discusses Fans And The Fortress As The Season Opener Inches Closer…
On the pitch, at the gym or sunk in the comfort of a sofa while giving this interview, one thing constant about Miku is his calm yet intense personality. Everything he goes about doing has a ‘no-nonsense’ feel to it and it isn’t difficult to figure why he’s managed to settle in rather quickly since landing in Bengaluru. The Caracas-born striker has spent more than a month training in a blue shirt and says he’s slightly impatient in waiting for the League to start.
“We want to have a great season, and it’s not that far away now. We’ve been training hard and with friendly games in the build-up, the coach can try different combinations. The most important thing for the players is to be in the best condition, and play well to make it hard for the coach to take the decision on the starting XI and the substitutes. Not just the foreign players, but all the players in the squad need to give their best in the training and the friendly games. This internal competition will only help our team and make it better,” feels Miku who has been among the goals in the pre-season friendlies against East Bengal and Gokulam FC.
Having watched the Blues fight against FC Istiklol at the Fortress in the AFC Cup Inter-Zone final, Miku was enthralled with the team’s performance on the pitch as well as the atmosphere off it. “We were very unlucky in the game against Istiklol, with that early penalty it was even harder for us because we had to score more goals than them. But we did have a good performance overall, and we created so many chances as well. Coming back in the game despite going down twice tells you something about the team. We had a great spirit in the team, and everyone wanted to make it to the final, but then that’s football. You don’t always get the result that you want. But you take the positives from it, and move on. The biggest positive for us was that the team showed character in playing with ten men for a long time and it’s not easy. The attitude was absolutely fantastic, and we were competitive being ten against eleven.”
In a team that has as many as five Spaniards, Miku feels he can only add to the creativity that the Blues have been advocating over the last two seasons. “We have different qualities to that of European players. They are strong physically, but South American players normally start off playing in the streets, and we like to play free without too many tactics involved, so we’re creative. But you need to follow instructions from the coach as well. The most important thing is how can I help the team with my football. I have come here to give my best and help the team in its objectives. I want to score goals, assist my teammates and help every single member in the squad.”
Interestingly, Miku has already played in India once before as a part of the Venezuelan national team which took on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Kolkata back in 2011. Recalling that game, he says, “It was a different situation back then, I was with the national team. When you play for your country it’s very different, because the feeling is different. It was a good game, but the artificial field made it a bit difficult. The day was very hot and humid, but the stadium was big and full with fans, so we know that people in India like football.”
Miku now wants Bengaluru to turn up in numbers and cheer the Blues who enter a new phase in their history. “I want to see Bengaluru pack the stadium in the ISL. When we played the semifinal a few weeks ago, the stadium wasn’t that full. I think the city must back the team, and it is very important to have more and more fans at the stadium. Some of them might not know it, but they help the team so much, it’s like they are the team’s 12th man. And we really need that! I appreciate when they came and supported us passionately against Istiklol, but we need more and every one of us can do better. We will be giving our best on the field and hope that we can get Bengaluru excited.”
