Sporting Club Delhi is set to play its first match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) on Thursday, its new home for the Indian Super League season. Since the Delhi Dynamos stopped operating in 2019, this will be the first time a Delhi-based club will play in the capital city. The club formerly known as Hyderabad FC rebranded for the 25/26 season and relocated its base from Hyderabad to New Delhi. They face Jamshedpur FC, currently second in the table, behind leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
This season, the JLN is also the home base of Punjab FC.
Sporting Club got off to a poor start, losing three games in a row before drawing 2-2 to City. They sit 13th, or second to last in the table, only above Mohammedan SC, who are yet to get off the mark. Though things may seem bleak, head coach Tomasz Tchórz believes that the team, in reboot mode, is doing great.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Tchórz said, “It’s a new setup with a different environment in a different situation. I think at the moment we are doing great as a club, as a team. This is a new beginning, but we are putting maximum effort off the field and on the field to achieve good results.”
The coach said the priority was to get the team up and running and get the right mix of players.
“The club is new, the team is new. We are still in the construction process… The objective is to start being competitive… to start playing in the way that fans enjoy.”
Tchórz is also excited to experience the atmosphere created by the fans at the stadium. But he realises that building a fan base will take time. “I think fans will start coming when the results are there. Fans come and support the team because everyone wants to be a part of something successful, everyone wants to be in a good position.”
(The writer is an intern with The )
