HERALD: Armando you made Goa famous all over the world with your short 5-month stint as India’s coach (first from Goa). Although you could be called the Special One in Indian football, why do you think the AIFF didn’t be patient with you and give you more time with the Men in Blue?
ARMANDO COLACO: First and foremost I thank Kushal Das, the General Secretary of AIFF for giving me this opportunity of coaching the National Football Team and I am extremely proud that within a short span of time, with the support of the players and my coaching staff I could achieve something with the Men in Blue. The beauty was that the players dished out pleasing display which entertained everybody whenever we played.
Well, I had asked AIFF to give me three years contract but they said they would give me only one year to which I flatly refused…..Honestly, I really don’t know why they did not offer me more time with the National team…they must be having their own reasons which is difficult for me and others to comprehend. Every coach aspires to be the National coach at some time or the other and I am glad that I was the national coach and that I did not let them down.
HERALD: No prophet is accepted in his own country goes the saying. Although you were not appreciated by Indians, you were praised by foreign coaches when they saw Indians play under you. Why is this so?
ARMANDO: I am extremely pleased the way I had handled the national team….Yes everybody praised our young India team led by Sunil Chetri, because they really dished out high quality brand of soccer…I got praises from the Maldives coach, a Frenchman, who appreciated our magical display on the field that day. (India were held 1-1 by Maldives in a friendly at Male, after leading with Chetri’s goal. Mukhthar Nasir equalised for Maldives). I was also praised by Carlos Queiroz, a Portuguese, and former coach of Manchester United and Real Madrid who is now with the Iran national team. When we played against Trinidad and Tobago, the great late cricket commentator, Tony Cozier, said that ‘everyone knew that India was very good at cricket but now watching this young Indian team play, everyone all over the world must take note that Indians are also good in football.’ My boys had something special in store and they displayed it in Qatar by beating the Qataris 2-1 in their own den.
HERALD: You were the first Goan coach to take a Goan club (also first Indian club) to the AFC semi-finals after winning five I-League titles with Dempo SC…the secret behind your success?
ARMANDO: To lead a team to the semi-finals of AFC Cup by playing against the strong Gulf clubs from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and from Jordan is not a fluke. We had a well-balanced side in all the departments –Abhijit, Satish, Mahesh Gawli, Samir Naik, John, Domnic, Bolaji, Valeriano, Ranty, Climax, Clifford, Anthony, Beto and Abranches and so on – mesmerised everybody on the field; we blended like one family and understood each other very well. I kept the flock together, the players knew what I was expecting from them and they gave me everything on a platter. There was no pressure at all. I always told them to enjoy the game by keeping the ball and to express themselves. Most of the credit also goes to our chairman, Shrinivas Dempo who never ever put pressure on me and my boys. He always supported and encouraged us all the time. Credit also goes to my great supporting coaching staff Mauricio Afonso, Camilo Gonsalves and the physio Venkatesh who took care of the players.
HERALD: After you lost your job with East Bengal, what were your feelings…..dejection, rejection….did you imagine you would be called by FC Bardez which did well in the Goa Professional League?
ARMANDO: I was extremely sad and dejected when Dempos did not renew my contract. Honestly, I did not know what to do. I was crestfallen. East Bengal were not doing well under a foreign coach and they were placed seventh in the I-League. I received a call from Alvito that East Bengal’s Nituria wants me to come to Kolkata to coach their team. I flew to Kolkata the very next day and took charge of the team and became the runners-up during that year. Later I got a three year contract from Bardez FC wherein we not only won the Police Cup but finished a creditable fourth in the Goa Professional League.
HERALD: Going back into your career could you briefly explain your path in football; your first club, your journey as a youngster and your last amateur club? Did you play professional soccer?
ARMANDO: I owe everything to my parents, brothers and sisters who always encouraged me in soccer, right from Don Bosco High School to Don Bosco Oratory. My first club was Panjim Gymkhana, when I was 14 and played for them in the Second Division League. It was an honour for me to play alongside my colleagues like Leopold Fernandes (Salgaocar), Francis D’Souza (Dempo and Mohun Bagan) Isidore Fernandes (present Canacona MLA), Irineu Gomes (Sesa) Lopez (Oratory), Poki, Baptista and so on. Dempo team with stalwarts and strong players like Nicholas, William Gad, Premsahi, Sampat, Socorro, Felix, Inacio and the likes used to come and train on our school ground. I was amazed by their play. So when their coach Joseph Ratnam asked me to come and train with them I jumped with joy to his idea. I was with Dempo as an (understudy) amateur and they took care of my college fees. Later I had a professional career with them for 12 years during which time I played for Goa and represented India.
HERALD: What made you choose coaching as a career…any one responsible for your choice? What was your first club as a coach?
ARMANDO: Those senior players at Dempos taught me how to keep the ball and play. I always enjoyed this style of play.. I am crazy about football and always had this desire to be a coach. So when I gave up playing football and joined Dempos Shipping Company at Marmagoa Harbour, my friends Alberto Colaco and Agnelo Mascarenhas requested me to come and train the Salcete Football Club in the mornings before I could go for work. From then on there was no looking back. Salcete FC is my first football club which I have coached and I will always remain grateful to them till death.
HERALD: During your playing days one could see lot of passion and dedication to the game. Do you think with the introduction of professionalism (and also the high contracts) has killed this passion?
ARMANDO: Like I said, earlier the players used to play for pride and dignity…there was not much money involved but still the players gave their best in spite of serious injuries but nowadays if a player has a light injury they run to the physio and take rest. Professionalism in other words killed the passion of play and everybody plays with caution.
HERALD: Goan clubs used to bring fear in the teams outside the State, especially from West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Punjab. Why do you think Goa has fallen back while other clubs, especially in north east, have made big leaps in the game?
ARMANDO: How long can the big business houses like Dempos, and Salgaocars, not forgetting Vasco, Churchill Bros, Sporting Clube de Goa, thrive on passion? They used to spend crores of rupees on their teams what were they getting in return? Goa had the very best of everything with us in the past; very good administrators in the GFA; clubs had the best players for a very healthy competition and won so many trophies, championships, leagues, etc. So many of our players were getting into the Indian National Team and it is but natural that sense of jealousy came into existence both from inside and outside. Misunderstanding between the Federation and our association and withdrawal by the three big Goan clubs from the I-League was our biggest downfall. I don’t refute their withdrawal, they had their own reasons. The Under-17 World Cup is being held in Goa and our Association is not a partner in this, why? There is something wrong somewhere and we have to mend our ways.
(With due respect to everybody, whatever I have expressed here, is purely my opinion and it is not meant to hurt anyone. The need of the hour is for all of us to take the blame for the sorry state of football affairs in Goa and start working together with responsibility to produce more and more players to play for India and bring back Goa to its rightful place.)
