Dabang Mumbai have appointed German U-21 coach Valentin Altenburg as the head coach. Altenburg, who will be taking the reigns of the newly formed team, said he has a strong squad with players who can win matches singlehandedly. “I wanted to make sure that we have a fresh new start. I wanted a strong squad and players which can decide the game and these players have those skills.”
The 24-man squad of the Mumbai franchise has 12 midfielders in the side which Altenburg said is a part of the strategy. “I’ve a philosophy that midfield plays a major part in each game, they decide in which direction the game will progress. This league is intense, so what we need is flexibility and options. I’m happy with the auction.”
Asked about bringing the philosophy of German men’s team into the picture, Altenburg said, “I want to (bring it) but at the same time I’m a realistic person and all that depends on the players. It’s not easy to play like that. We want to be the team that plays with immense passion. We’ve to be very humble. First the players need to gel with each other before we can set high goals. I would like to play a fast game.”