Juan Ferrando – Our focus is to get the team ready day-by-day as we get close to start

by Chittu Shetty November 7, 2020

Filling in the shoes of a manager who took a team to three straight playoffs and a final is no mean feat, but it looks like young Spanish manager Juan Ferrando is up for the task.

The 39-year old manager hailing from Barcelona has been handed the reins of Indian Super League heavyweights FC Goa for the seventh edition of India’s premier footballing competition.

The challenge of coming to a new country and league setup was compounded further with FC Goa losing some of their top stars – Hugo Boumous, Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall and Mandar Rao Desai signing for fellow ISL side Mumbai City FC. FC Goa’s former star striker Ferran ‘Coro’ Corominas also decided not to renew his contract and signed with Spanish Segunda Division side CD Atlético Baleares.

Ahead of the ISL season scheduled to kick off later this month, the FC Goa gaffer spoke to media personnel on his plans and approach for the team.

With just about three weeks of pre-season at his disposal to get the Gaurs ready for the season, Ferrando has a big task at his hand going ahead. In addition to the shorter duration for preparations, the player are coming to Goa on the back of a big lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation around the world.

“Sure, the timing is very short ahead of the championship and we did not have much of a pre-season. But I have been in constant touch with my coaching staff for the preparation of the team. Our medical team has been working round the clock keeping in mind the COVID-19 protocols to keep the team fresh and ready for the grueling season ahead.”

Ferrando will utilize the limited pre-season matches amongst the different ISL sides to evaluate his team and make the necessary tweaks to the training regimen. “We will assess the players based on the pre-season games as well and hopefully have enough time to make some changes as required ahead of our season opener against Bengaluru FC.”

FC Goa begin their campaign against Bengaluru FC, a formidable title contender every year however, the manager is not perturbed by any opponent and makes his focus areas clear. “Our immediate target is clear – prepare the team for the season ahead. We do not focus on any opponents right now and just aim to get better day by day as we get near the start of the season. My aim is to prepare my team in the best way to be ready for the challenges ahead. I will focus on Bengaluru next week when we are closer to the start.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Filling in the shoes of a manager who took a team to three straight playoffs and a final is no mean feat, but it looks like young Spanish manager Juan Ferrando is up for the task. #IndianFootball #HeroISL #FCGoa

A post shared by Football Counter (@footballcounter) on Nov 7, 2020 at 5:49am PST

Ferrando also expressed the disappointment of playing in Goa without the fans, especially with the FC Goa side boasting some of the fiercest supporting contingent of fans in India.

“It is sad because in my opinion, we have the best supporters in India. It is not fun to play without the fans. You need the support during the home matches. But, in the tough times today, we are happy to be playing and we will try to do the best for our fans”

FC Goa begin their ISL campaign against Bengaluru FC at the Fatorda Stadium on November 22 in the seventh season.

For Trial related updates: Latest trials updates in Mumbai Football

Also Read: Eugeneson Lyngdoh ready to be back with a bang

Also Read: Edu Bedia named FC Goa captain, Lenny to be vice captain

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football