After a disastrous Indian Super League campaign last season, FC Goa has quickly moved in to hire unheralded Spanish coach Sergio Lobera Rodriguez to succeed Zico. While uncertainty prevails over the future of the league as the Indian football bosses meet Asian Football Confederation officials to take a call on the future of Indian club football, the Gaurs have been quietly working towards a plan to implement what it calls its “vision for Goan football”. Rodriguez is not a renowned coach but has the experience of working with elite footballers like Sergio Busquets, Bojan Krkic, Jonathan Dos Santos, Jordi Alba and Oriol Romeu at Barcelona’s youth academy. The Spanish coach, who has signed a two-year deal with the Gaurs, was also part of the late Tito Vilanova’s backroom staff during his tenure as the head coach of the Catalan club. He then moved to UD Las Palmas as the head coach and then also carried the reins of Moghreb Tetouan in Morocco. Although Rodriguez has impressive credentials, it will be a big challenge for the Spaniard to fill the great shoes of Zico, who was a revered figure for FC Goa fans during the first three seasons of the tournament. The 40-year-old Rodriguez seems to be a prudent choice by the Gaurs but only time will tell if he can deliver.
