FC Goa keen to make it count in ISL opener against Inter Kashi

Panaji: FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez wanted to speak his mind when asked about a strange season; a season that kicks off more than ten months after the last edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) concluded, and one that will have just 13 matches to decide the champion.
“I have to be polite,” said Manolo, choosing his words carefully to avoid consequences during the pre-match media interaction at the club headquarters on Friday. “Indian football cannot allow such a situation in the future. There are 13 games in the league now and we have to play them. You cannot do anything about (the situation). I would say this is still better because we practically play one game a week, so that provides time to train and recover players. It’s unlike the (bio-secure) bubble when we played every three or four days (during the Covid-19 pandemic).”
Now into his sixth season in India, the experienced Spanish coach chose to see the brighter side of the league, one that fans waited for eternity to kick off. In Manolo’s words, it’s a “strange season” with just 13 games, with one becoming champion and the bottom team being relegated. “In between, there are 11 teams, and there are fears many of them will lose interest midway into the competition if they cannot fight for the title or remain too ahead to fear the drop.”
For Goa, there would be a different challenge, given that they have already secured their spot in next season’s AFC Champions League Two playoff after winning the Super Cup. It’s the same reward for ISL champions, if you ignore the winning purse of Rs 1.25 crore and Rs 75 lakh for the top two teams.
“We want to win the first game because if you remove the number zero in your points (column) early, it’s better. I am convinced we will have a good season. We want to compete, want to improve with every game. The aim is to move one step forward, be better and arrive in better conditions for next season. We are a team that’s trained since July, with continuity, but’s it’s hard to predict what will happen this season,” said Manolo.
Goa open their campaign with a clash against Inter Kashi FC at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday. On paper, it would seem like an uneven contest: Goa, always fighting for the title; Kashi, debutants in the top tier. Manolo’s side has been training since July, had a taste of Asian football this season, while Antonio Lopez Habas took charge just last month.
Manolo, though, sees things differently.
“Inter Kashi are new to the ISL, but they are better than a lot of teams (in the league). They will be very competitive, and with this coach even more difficult. It won’t be a surprise if they finish in a good position,” said Manolo, who confirmed that he has his entire squad available for the opener.
Inter Kashi defeated Chennaiyin FC in a friendly last week to signal their intentions. With six foreign players and a two-time ISL winning coach at the helm, the debutants will be more than a handful for many opponents.
“It's very important to create a good first impression,” said Habas, who has won the ISL and I-League. “We have to do well in our first season. We have to take lot of steps in the right direction, but the first step is creating an impression for everyone. We have to give our full energy, work hard and remain disciplined to get a positive result.”