ISL semi-finals will be like a different tournament: Forlan

Mumbai City FC's marquee player Diego Forlan said on Friday that Saturday's Indian Super League (ISL) semi-final against Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) will be like a new tournament.

"A whole new tournament begins tomorrow," Forlan told journalists in a roundtable chat here.

"Finishing on top after the league phase is good for our confidence. We have arrived at a crucial point in the tournament in a good position," the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball winner said.

Forlan, a former star for Spanish top division side Atletico Madrid, said he knows some of the foreign players at ATK who are a sister concern of the La Liga heavyweights.

"I know some of the players, having played against them in Spain and I know it will be a difficult match against a good team," he said.

At 37, there have been questions about how good Forlan still is.

"It's not always about quality. Many players may have better quality than some of the stars in Europe but they haven't made it big because they lacked self-belief," the Uruguayan said.

"I've been in that situation. When you are young and watch some of these stars on television, you think they are from a different planet but when you play against them, you see that everybody has weaknesses," he added.

--IANS

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