What was your experience as assistant manager of
Barcelona?
Every
experience in football leaves you with a lesson, but
Barcelona will always be a special memory. It was an education to work
alongside somebody like Frank Rijkaard and with some of the best footballers in
the world, on a daily basis. It was also fantastic to come up against quality
opposition from across Spain and Europe. It was an immensely satisfying phase,
one that has taught me more than I can imagine.
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How is Bengaluru FC progressing as a team in
I-League this season?
We are only five games old in the League and
there’s still a lot of football to be played. Since our AFC Cup run last
season, we’ve added a lot of new players to the squad who are doing really well
in adapting to our systems. We’ve had a mixed bag of results but we aren’t
worried. The important thing is to identify the trouble areas and work harder
on them.
With the withdrawal of Goan teams from I-League do
you feel it will be an easy path for Bengaluru?
We’re under no such illusion. There are no easy
games in the League. We will have to work hard for every point. I have heard
about the kind of dominance teams from Goa had in the past and it’s sad that
only one team from the State remains in the League.
What extra efforts did you put in for Bengaluru FC
to qualify for the AFC Cup final?
It wasn’t an easy task given that I had come
midway through the campaign. But full credit goes to the staff, management and
boys for sticking together and refusing to look at this as a hurdle. We made
most of the time we had and the boys were brave every time they stepped out on
the pitch.
What do you feel went wrong in the final?
Reaching the final itself marks the beginning of a
new era for the Indian football. We came up against a better team that was more
physical and experienced than us. Not once did I feel that we gave less on that
pitch. But this football, you have to be gracious in defeat when you come up against
a better opponent and that’s what happened in Doha. That said, we had our
chances to draw level till the very last minute but it wasn’t meant to be.
What is your aim for Bengaluru FC?
The aim is to win every trophy that we are
competing for. We showed we can compete in Asia and now we need to do the same
in the League. We are defending champions and we need to do everything to keep
the title back in Bengaluru.
Playing career
Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Spain, Roca spent
most of his career with clubs in his native region, starting out at CE
L’Hospitalet in Segunda (second) Division B. In 1984 he signed with Real
Zaragoza, being assigned to the B-team also in that level and helping them
promote to Segunda Division in his first season.
Roca’s input at the professional level consisted
of a combined 75 games and three goals in the second tier with Zaragoza B,
Atletico Madrid B and Palamos CF, and 31/1 in La Liga with Zaragoza and CE
Sabadell CF. He scored his only goal in the latter competition on March 8,
1987, in a 1–3 away loss against RCD Espanol whilst playing for the latter
side. He retired at the end of the 1991–92 campaign, aged 29.
Managerial
career
Roca began working as a head coach in 1998, at CE
Europa in Tercera (third) Division. He won the Copa Catalunya against FC
Barcelona, before switching to neighbouring club AEC Manlleu the following
year.
In 2001, Roca joined Sabadell’s coaching staff,
leaving two years later for Barcelona under newly appointed Frank Rijkaard. The
pair went on to work together at Galatasaray SK and the Saudi Arabia national
team.
On May 12, 2014, Roca was appointed as manager of
El Salvador. His first game in charge occurred on June 4, at the Toyota Stadium
in Frisco, Texas, ending with a 1–2 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast. His first
win came against the Dominican Republic in another exhibition match, on August
30 (2-0).
Roca returned to club duties on July 6, 2016,
signing a two-year contract with I-League champions Bengaluru FC.
