With all eyes on the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) in Goa, Odisha FC has taken new measures and has adopted a fresh approach both on and off the field. Appointing new coaches, bringing in quality Indian and foreign players, and starting the pre-season camp early in Bhubaneswar are some of the important steps taken to ensure on-field success.
Meanwhile, there has been a lot done in the background as well, there have been many important steps taken off the pitch so that the Club climbs up the ladder not only on the Hero ISL points table but also in terms of brand building as well.
Head of Football Operations Abhik Chatterjee, who has spearheaded many important collaborations for the Club this year alongside Club President Raj Athwal, explained, “One of the first things that we did once Raj Athwal (Club President) came in was to get our markers for brand value and perception equity right. There have been many conversations around this and everybody at the club has put in their contributions towards steering the ship in this direction.”
“They might seem like small things but getting the club website revamped, getting the partnership with Watford FC over the line, initiating the collaboration with Youth for Sustainability, bringing a global brand like Hummel on board and pivoting our strategy for the direction we want our social media to grow in, are incremental changes towards what we want to achieve.”
Right after celebrating its second foundation day on 31st of August, the Bhubaneswar-based side announced its International Club Partnership with Premier League club Watford FC. Speaking about the importance of the partnership with Watford, Abhik stated, “I think the partnership is immensely beneficial as it will broaden our horizons both on and off the pitch. We can only learn from an institution like Watford FC. Their knowledge when it comes to the different facets of the sport: recruitment, marketing, commercial and medical, will enable our respective departments to gain valuable insight. Their commitment towards equipping our youth teams and strengthening us in our quest to make a mark in the women’s game, are two factors that will play a pivotal role in the advancement of football within Odisha.”
“I think it is very central to how we want to progress as a Club and it is an important cog in the Government’s vision of making Odisha prosper in the football arena. We have already engaged several initiatives and are working quite religiously behind the scene to ensure that things are in place. We are targeting October as the month where we will have feet on the ground in terms of our youth teams and the reserve team. The Government’s support will play an important part in our endeavours and to be honest, they have been fantastic so far by equipping us with the tools and the framework needed to make this a success,” Abhik, who is currently with the team in Goa, highlighted.
Odisha FC also signed a kit sponsorship deal with Danish sportswear brand hummel last month and Abhik was one of the chief architects behind the new kit sponsorship agreement. “I think it is an exciting partnership in the offing. It is their first year associating with Indian football clubs and I think through our outreach programs and our inventive designs, we will prove to be an excellent partner for them. We will rely on Hummel to get our jerseys into the hands of whoever wants to get it and we will leverage their global network to open new doors for us,” commented Abhik.
First as the Team Manager and now as the Head of Football Operations, Abhik is loved by the Juggernauts here in Odisha. The fans are going to miss the action again this season because of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic and will not be able to watch their favourite team perform at their nest – Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar for the second time in a row. Abhik has thanked them for all their continued support and has a special message for them as well.
“We miss them too. We would have loved to have them with us, cheering for the boys and the coaching staff. They lend us a lot of strength and I think it is critical that we feel this support more than ever this season as the team will be attempting to pick itself back up. Whenever such a scenario occurs, the fans play a huge part and their energy often has the capability to transform a particular situation. We will be wanting to make them proud this year, both on and off the pitch,” Abhik concluded.
With all eyes on the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) in Goa, Odisha FC has taken new measures and has adopted a fresh approach both on and off the field. Appointing new coaches, bringing in quality Indian and foreign players, and starting the pre-season camp early in Bhubaneswar are some of the important steps taken to ensure on-field success.
Meanwhile, there has been a lot done in the background as well, there have been many important steps taken off the pitch so that the Club climbs up the ladder not only on the Hero ISL points table but also in terms of brand building as well.
Head of Football Operations Abhik Chatterjee, who has spearheaded many important collaborations for the Club this year alongside Club President Raj Athwal, explained, “One of the first things that we did once Raj Athwal (Club President) came in was to get our markers for brand value and perception equity right. There have been many conversations around this and everybody at the club has put in their contributions towards steering the ship in this direction.”
“They might seem like small things but getting the club website revamped, getting the partnership with Watford FC over the line, initiating the collaboration with Youth for Sustainability, bringing a global brand like Hummel on board and pivoting our strategy for the direction we want our social media to grow in, are incremental changes towards what we want to achieve.”
Right after celebrating its second foundation day on 31st of August, the Bhubaneswar-based side announced its International Club Partnership with Premier League club Watford FC. Speaking about the importance of the partnership with Watford, Abhik stated, “I think the partnership is immensely beneficial as it will broaden our horizons both on and off the pitch. We can only learn from an institution like Watford FC. Their knowledge when it comes to the different facets of the sport: recruitment, marketing, commercial and medical, will enable our respective departments to gain valuable insight. Their commitment towards equipping our youth teams and strengthening us in our quest to make a mark in the women’s game, are two factors that will play a pivotal role in the advancement of football within Odisha.”
“I think it is very central to how we want to progress as a Club and it is an important cog in the Government’s vision of making Odisha prosper in the football arena. We have already engaged several initiatives and are working quite religiously behind the scene to ensure that things are in place. We are targeting October as the month where we will have feet on the ground in terms of our youth teams and the reserve team. The Government’s support will play an important part in our endeavours and to be honest, they have been fantastic so far by equipping us with the tools and the framework needed to make this a success,” Abhik, who is currently with the team in Goa, highlighted.
Odisha FC also signed a kit sponsorship deal with Danish sportswear brand hummel last month and Abhik was one of the chief architects behind the new kit sponsorship agreement. “I think it is an exciting partnership in the offing. It is their first year associating with Indian football clubs and I think through our outreach programs and our inventive designs, we will prove to be an excellent partner for them. We will rely on Hummel to get our jerseys into the hands of whoever wants to get it and we will leverage their global network to open new doors for us,” commented Abhik.
First as the Team Manager and now as the Head of Football Operations, Abhik is loved by the Juggernauts here in Odisha. The fans are going to miss the action again this season because of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic and will not be able to watch their favourite team perform at their nest – Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar for the second time in a row. Abhik has thanked them for all their continued support and has a special message for them as well.
“We miss them too. We would have loved to have them with us, cheering for the boys and the coaching staff. They lend us a lot of strength and I think it is critical that we feel this support more than ever this season as the team will be attempting to pick itself back up. Whenever such a scenario occurs, the fans play a huge part and their energy often has the capability to transform a particular situation. We will be wanting to make them proud this year, both on and off the pitch,” Abhik concluded.
