PANAJI: Spanish coach Juan Ferrando’s first season in charge at Indian Super League giants FC Goa, came at a very difficult time off the field as the Coronavirus pandemic created unprecedented needs all around for the ISL to be held successfully. On the field, his work started from the scratch much earlier as his astute signings had to come in and gel quickly to create an identical bunch capable of playing possession-cum-fluid-passing game as expertly if not better than the Gaurs did when ex-coach Sergio Lobera, who had lured most of the key players from the Goan outfit to Mumbai City FC before 2020-21 campaign began, was at the helm. Having been unlucky to go down in the sudden death in the ISL semi-finals, the AFC Champions League debut was the biggest milestone yet for FC Goa this year and Ferrando’s tactical acumen was there for all to see as he got the first Indian club in the premier continental competition to give a brave account of themselves against the odds.
The 40-year-old Barcelona-born tactician hailed the togetherness of the boys in particular.
“I think players have performed on a high level and have done great as a team. However, this experience has shown us we need to improve many tactical aspects on the pitch so we can be more competitive at an international level,” Ferrando said in an interview with the club’s official website https://fcgoa.in/.
