FC Goa is one of the teams that participated from the inaugural season of Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014. Though FC Goa has played the final twice till now, they have not won on either occasion. However, FC Goa succeeded in winning the ISL League shield in the 2019-20 which helped them in securing a spot in the AFC Champions League group stages.
FC Goa has struggled for the past two seasons to qualify for the playoffs. Last season, they had signed Carlos Pena as their head coach also the former player of FC Goa. But things did not go as expected for them.
FC GOA: UPCOMING 2023-24 SEASON
Hoping to qualify for the playoffs in the upcoming season of ISL, FC Goa have welcomed Manolo Marquez as their head coach. Manolo Marquez was with Hyderabad FC when he received the offer. Hyderabad FC, a club which joined the competition three years ago quickly gained momentum and emerged as the winners of the 2021-22 Hero ISL trophy. Manolo played an instrumental role in shaping the club. Soon, he had a name for himself in the Indian Football circuit.
FC Goa have let go of their pioneer midfielder Edu Bedia who has been playing in the ISL for a long time. Popular centre back Sandesh Jhingan and Udanta Singh also known as The Flash have joined the club. Sandesh provides a solid backing to the defense line with his ample amount of experience both at the club as well as national level. Odei Onaindia, Victor Rodriguez and Carlos Martinez have joined as foreigners while Paulo Retre as the Asian quota player.
Manolo is his conversation with the FC Goa media team said,
“The main target is to arrive in the first game of the Hero ISL in the best possible conditions.
You can’t promise anything because finally, it comes down to a lot of things like injuries, suspensions, and other factors.”
“I am very happy because we are signing for one of the best teams in India. Of course, we will try to do our best. We have a lot of hope that it will be a good season,” he added.
The team has a mix of experience and young talent which is a combination for Manolo to explore. Manolo with his time in India has recognised FC Goa as the toughest team in the ISL. Manolo loves to train with the youngsters which will be a bonus to the club’s ambition to promote local players.
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