ISL : Mumbai City FC to reach Kolkata on match day

Sunil-Chetri-in-Chennai-floKOLKATA : The Indian Super League  tie between Atletico deKolkata (ATK) and Mumbai City FC in Saltlake Stadium on Friday will go ahead as per schedule . According to a statement released from ISL , both Mumbai City FC and Channaiyin FC  have reached Mumbai late night . The teams travelled by road from Chennai to Tirupati Air Base from where they were flown to Mumbai by a charter flight . While the Mumbai outfit will reach Kolkata on Friday morning from Mumbai , to play their last league encounter against Atletico de Kolkata , Chennaiyin will travel to Pune . There was a proposal to get the Mumbai franchise here via a military aircraft but it has not happened yet. Earlier, due to uncertainties over the last 24 hours and facing the Force Majeure situation, the Hero ISL had offered Mumbai City FC a future reserve day to play the game. However the management of Mumbai City FC insisted on having the match as scheduled, as they didn’t want to disappoint fans in Kolkata who had bought tickets in advance.

Sunil Chetri , Soni Norde and rest of the Mumbai footballers will be reaching  Kolkata on Friday morning just hours before the match . A photograph of the Indian captain standing in knee deep water waiting to board the team bus went viral . Later the Indian captain tweeted “ Fortunate enough to wade out to safety , but thoughts and prayers with all those affected by this calamity ”

Sunil-tweet

 

Hero ISL appreciate the sportsman spirit exhibited by Mumbai City FC team management. Mumbai City FC had showcased the sportsman spirit earlier too, while playing the rain affected match against Chennaiyin FC  on 1st December in Chennai. Coach Nicolas Anelka at the post match press conference had said, “both team coaches and players wanted to play the match.”