Chennaiyin out to decimate Blasters

Come Saturday, the south-India derby will unfurl exactly at time when fireworks light up the night sky and both the teams would be itching to enjoy the festivities after a gruelling 90 minutes on the pitch. Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters have a fierce rivalry on and off the field. It was in the first edition that the Blasters knocked Chennaiyin out of contention. However, both the coaches — Marco Materazzi and Steve Coppell dismissed talks of the past having a bearing on Saturday’s match. “No. Previous games don’t have to have influence in the next game. Because if it did then we would have lost previous games as after the Delhi game I was disappointed maybe it was the worst game I had in three years of ISL. My players were mature to change their attitude and I’m happy they proved it on the pitch,” Materazzi said. 

Coppell concurred with his opposite number and said the previous matches mean nothing to him and his team. “I’ve been made aware of the history but it means nothing to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another game to me. I don’t think we have players who’ve been caught up in the past. Different year, different players and different occasion,” he said. Coppell agreed that Blasters’ win in their last match has done his team a world of good and they are now determined to continue with their progress.