FC Goa pre-match press conference
Press conference was addressed by Coach Zico and player Ranti Martins before their home game against Delhi Dynamos
Goa has played four matches with just one point and at the bottom of the table. Has this kind of performance come as a surprise to you?
Zico: Football never surpises me. So, we lost some games but we can also win and move on. We created some good opportunities and had chances but didn’t manage to concert them, even though we played well. This is the magic about football. Sometimes a team plays very well but doesn’t manage to score, while another team comes and scores. But then, that’s how football is. It’s all about football.
Many foreign players have come to India for the ISL. Your thoughts on that?
Zico: I think the difference with Japan was that they didn’t bring in too many foreign players. In my opinion at the ISL it’s not too good to have too many foreigners playing. The minimum of 5 Indian players is too less in my opinion. Since it’s the ISL, we have to encourage more Indian football.
FC Goa will miss a lot of players at the next match. Some injured, some not fit, suspended. How difficult will it be to play well tomorrow?
Zico: We never think it’s only 11 players, we have a group of 27 players. All 27 players are ready to play. Some are injured but the others are fit and ready to play. Players have been picked for the team because they are good and they are prepared to play. So I’m not too worried about that. I told them that they have to be prepared to play at any time, in any situation. We will play 11 against 11.
Ranti, you have played at the I-league and ISL. Have scored high at I-league, but not at the ISL. Is the standard of football higher in the ISL?
Ranti: There are only 2 strikers, Dudu and me, who have played for the I-league and ISL. There are also a lot of foreign players making the top 11. Also, we have been playing only for a couple of weeks but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t score. It’s about patience.
Coach, AIFF has announced that the ban for Habbas has been reduced from 4 to 2 games. Your comments?
Zico: Congratulations to their lawyers.
