Manolo Marquez
PANAJI
FC Goa had a good campaign in the Indian Super League (ISL) during last season wherein the Gaurs finished runners-up in the league phase. In fact, under its head coach Manolo Marquez, FC Goa has reached the semi-finals in the last two editions of ISL.
But this time around things won’t be easy for the Gaurs. Four of its six foreign players have parted ways with the club due to uncertainty surrounding Indian football. With just two foreigners in its side, the Gaurs won’t be as strong as a side at the start of the new ISL season as compared to when they had competed in the AFC Champions League Two in 2025.
According to Manolo, the exit of four foreign players will be the biggest challenge for the Gaurs this season.
Goa would definitely miss the services of Iker Guarrotxena, Javier Siverio, David Timor and Borja Herrera. Without them, the midfield and forward won’t look the same. After all, Iker and Borja were among the leading goal scorers for Goa during last season with seven and six goals receptively.
“The exit of four foreign players will be our biggest challenge. It will definitely affect the performance. It is true that foreigners have only scored most of the goals over the years. On the positive side, it’s time to check the level of our Indian players,” Manolo said.
Despite the exit of foreigners, Manolo feels that FC Goa will be as good as any other team.
“We will be very competitive. I am confident that the boys will do well. The team will finish at a good position. This season will be good for us. We have been training with continuity since July. The players are enjoying their training session. The strength of our team is our group. For me, the group is very strong and they are all together," the Spaniard said.
Also missing in FC Goa’s squad will be Armando Sadiku, Goa’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals during last season. He has moved abroad to Swiss club AC Bellinzona.
Goa will have only two foreign players in its line-up this season - Spanish defender Pol Moreno and Serbian winger Dejan Dražić.
Except Mohammedan Sporting, who will field an all-Indian lineup due to a transfer ban, and Odisha FC who have just one foreign player, Goa will have the least foreign players.
Amid the financial restrains in the ISL, FC Goa players have faced salary cuts for this season.
“When you are in the pitch, you do not remember this,” the coach said reflecting that salary reduction won’t affect the performance on the field.
Meanwhile, Goa have promoted five players from their developmental side to the senior squad - Sitroy Carvalho, Malsawmtlunga, Vellington Fernandes, Jovial Dias and Lionel Rymmei.
“I am happy to work with a lot of Indian players. The key is that you need to be patient. Your chance will arrive. Prachit, Hrithik, Brison will be there. Some more players will be there in the list tomorrow. Most of them will be from Goa,” the coach said.
During last season, local boy Brison Fernandes had scored seven goals and was among the star performers for the Gaurs.
Manolo said he would like to see more connection between the players and fans at Fatorda. “I dream of Fatorda cheering a lot for the people. It is important that the players feel that the supporters are with them,” the coach said.
Goa will start their campaign against the newly-promoted Inter Kashi at Fatorda on February 14.
“My target is to win tomorrow’s game. If you lose one game, you need to train hard the next day and try to win the next game. This time we have only 13 games. It’s a shortened league. We will take it game by game. The team is ready to play good games. It is difficult to predict what will happen this season," the coach said.
