16 Jan 2017  |   10:31pm IST

What does the future hold?

As Brazilian legend Zico parts ways with FC Goa, having served as the club’s manager for three seasons, the question being put forth, is what the future hold for the club? Café inquires further

Team Café

Arthur Antunes Coimbra,

better known in the footballing world (and beyond) as Zico, came to Goa a footballing legend. And having served his tenure of three seasons with the club, FC Goa and its head coach have mutually decided not to extend the contract shared by them.

Zico’s departure will of course have many fans pondering many questions. What does it spell for the future of the team? Was his time possibly over, according to some? Is there going to be a new model going forward? Who’s the best possible successor? And many more questions in similar vein.

There are suggestions that the club is in the process of appointing a Technical Director; one with coaching experience and scouting knowledge within the Indian footballing ecosystem. However, for every Goan out there, there can be no doubt that Zico and the team will be intricately wound into each other’s tale, and that he will leave as more of a legend than when he arrived

I think that we may well see a revamped FC Goa next season. As far as Zico is concerned, I believe he had a tough third season, considering the controversies FC Goa were embroiled in. It was also the reason why he had to let go of a couple of key Indian and international players to rival clubs. The majority of his additions were hastily signed, and failed to make an impact. The better way forward would be to find a successor immediately and give him carte blanche to sign his players immediately. That way the team gets to spend more time with each other as opposed to spending a month before the league starts. The foreign players are the spine of every team, so it’s crucial for the clubs to sign their players sooner than later. 

UDDHAV WELINKAR

It’s very disappointing to lose a manager of Zico’s calibre. When he decided to come to India, I thought he would create a similar kind of revolution, that he had in Japan. Finishing at the bottom of the table last season probably played a major role in his decision to look for better options. FC Goa need to appoint someone with good coaching experience and scouting knowledge, even if it’s within Indian football. 

CONRAD BARRETO

Zico and FC Goa were like synonyms for each other from the start of the ISL. We Goans were very lucky to have a legend like him as a coach, and his performances in first two seasons proved he was worth it. Last season it all went wrong; it was evident from his body language and his comments that he was not happy here and it is better that he left. I hope the incoming manager is also a Brazilian and we also take advice from Zico on his appointment, as FC goa has mostly Brazilian players, and we are known to play a Brazilian brand of football. We should never lose that identity, which FC goa is famous for. Força Goa.

ANJYOT TALAULIKER

 

I believe that Zico did try his best to take FC Goa to the topmost level. No matter what happened, he stayed loyal to his contract, even though there were a lot of troubled times after the second year’s final. The ISL is still a young league, where the managers of a team change almost every season, so there isn’t much worry, in terms of getting in a new one. If FC Goa could somehow rope in a young manager who has managed at a top level, that would be interesting.

ELROY FIGUEIREDO