PANJIM: Goa, I think, is the smallest State in India but may be it’s the biggest in terms of football,” declared FC Goa’s head coach Manolo Marquez.
“This is one of the main reasons that you want to sign in clubs like this,” the tactician said suggesting that the football heritage and historical importance of football were important factors behind his arrival in Goa.
Manolo also referred to Hyderabad FC to further his point. He said, “I arrive from one team that I love and I will love all my life, but nobody is interested in football in Hyderabad. They are interested only in Sunrisers (Hyderabad), they are always in the last two teams in the IPL (Indian Premier League), but they prefer this to the team that is fighting for the top (in the ISL). I feel that football is more important than cricket here.”
Manolo opined that the football club needs to play well and the fans will fill the stadiums eventually. He said, “Before I arrived in India, people told me, the stadiums are full, practically, it depends on the scores. We played in Bengaluru, and at that moment, we won 3-0 in Sree Kanteerava, and the stadium was practically empty. After this game, they won 11 consecutive games and now finally the stadium was completely full.”
