'We Have Respect For The National Team,' - East Bengal Head Coach On Indian Players Ahead of the Asian Games

East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat said that his club has respect for the Indian national team and will release players ahead of the upcoming Asian Games. The Indian Super League is set to get underway on September 21. The ISL clubs are not comfortable releasing some of the Indian players for national duty. Team India are in Group A of the Games, alongside hosts China (September 19), Bangladesh (September 21), and Myanmar (September 24).

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Asked about the issue, Cuadrat said, "We have the calendar, and it's very clear. I've worked with Saudi Arabia's national team in the past, so I know clearly how the calendar works for the clubs. Everything is under control. It will remain organized in the football industry across the world. We have respect for the national team and have sent them a list of players they can use. The clubs and federations (AIFF) must cooperate to do the best for the country. We have players in the U-23 and the senior team, and we support the national team. There is a list of East Bengal players who can partake in the Asian Games."

The top two teams from the six groups will make it to the pre-quarters, with four best-ranked third-placed sides also qualifying. India's best outing in the competition came in Guangzhou 2010, where they made it to the pre-quarters.

India men's squad for Asian Games:

• Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Gurmeet Singh, and Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.
• Defenders: Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Narender Gahlot, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh and Ashish Rai.
• Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia Ralte, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Rahul KP and Naorem Mahesh Singh.
• Forwards: Siva Sakthi Narayanan, Rahim Ali, Aniket Jadhav, Vikram Partap Singh, Rohit Danu and Sunil Chhetri.