We are used to these kind of things, disparaged Manolo Marquez on being questioned about refereeing

Noah says he is happy with performance of team

FC Goa succumbed to a hard-fought loss against Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup semi-final, marking the conclusion of their promising run in the tournament.

A disheartened Manolo Marquez and Noah Sadaoui addressed the media post-match, expressing their thoughts on the narrow defeat.

Marquez's Take on Refereeing and Team Performance

The press conference kicked off with questions directed towards the coach regarding the team's recent performance and the challenges faced. Responding to whether the team felt victimized by refereeing decisions, the coach responded that such situations are not uncommon in Indian football.

Mareuqez stated “If you play in India, we are used to these kind of things”.  He referenced past experiences and acknowledged that playing in India often involves managing such scenarios.

On implementation of rules in the tournament

In a unique situation, the coach highlighted a discrepancy in the tournament's rules. Despite the allowance to register 30 players, he pointed out that the norm is to field only 30 players. The coach emphasized that this tournament stands out globally as it doesn't lead to disqualification even if teams exceed the regular player limit, underscoring the need for clarity and uniformity in regulations across competitions.

“But is the only tournament in the world that you are not out of the competition, even if you put more players than the normal rule” said a frustrated Marquez.

On why Brandon was substituted

FC Goa saw an unexpected change in the second half that left both fans and analysts puzzled. The decision to substitute Brandon was met with confusion, and during the subsequent press conference, the coach shed light on the situation.

Marquez said “Yes, we arrived three or four days ago in Kolkata. I don't know how many players and staff they have a virus. Brandon was one of them. He was very weak. We spoke before the game that he would play today only the first half”

Noah’s Perspective: Building Confidence and Progress

FC Goa’s best player in the tournament, Noah, discussed the significance of being consistently on the score sheet and attributed it to the team's collective effort and progress. He emphasized that the team is in a building phase, striving to implement the coach's strategies and support each other on and off the field.

The FC Goa star stated “Trying to do what the coach says and help each other. I am very happy with our performance”.

The need for better organization

Marquez acknowledged that teams, especially those with major and reserve players, are faced with uncertainties due to last-minute changes. He stressed the need for better organization and scheduling in Indian football, advocating for a more streamlined approach to enhance development.

“I think that there is one important thing, you know that I love this country, and I love Indian players, but I think that when we speak about development, we need to improve in terms of organization. We need to know the schedule of the teams, maybe before to prepare the season, and maybe we can play with better players” said Marquez.

Final Thoughts and Anticipation

The press conference concluded with insights into the upcoming ISL season. The coach expressed optimism about their competitiveness in the season 10 of the ISL.

Marquez concluded “I think that day by day in the training session they are training very good, every day better, and finally this is the way, because we know, today we faced a very strong team, and I think that the ISL this next season, this ISL, seems that we will be very competitive."