Shillong Lajong’s Jose Hevia on I-League, Indian football structure & more
(Courtesy : Jose Hevia Instagram)
Jose Hevia is optimistic that the club can perform as they did in the Durand Cup.
José Hevia, the Spanish tactician and head coach of Shillong Lajong FC (SLFC), is all set to lead the club for the ongoing I-League season, 2024-25. Shillong Lajong FC will play their first match of the season against the Goa-based team Churchill Brothers on Sunday, the 24th of November. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 AM.
José Hevia started his career in India as a technical director of the former ISL outfit FC Pune City from their inception. Later, he was given the responsibility of managing the FC Pune City U-18 team for a year.
José Hevia, a UEFA Pro License coach, has been associated with clubs like Minerva Punjab FC, Madhya Bharat Sports Club, and Mohammedan SC during the 2020-21 season as head coach. This will be Hevia’s second spell with the Shillong-based outfit.
With Shillong Lajong, he served as technical director, coach, and youth Development and guided the team to two major trophies.
The Spanish gaffer talked exclusively with Khel Now and shared his thoughts and opinions from different perspectives.
We are going to fight
When asked what he expected from the I-League, José Hevia said that the league is extremely complex. Nevertheless, the team is prepared to compete despite all the advantages and disadvantages. “I would like to be on the field with what we have done all these days. We have practiced together to be on the top. It will be very, very complicated because the I-League is a tough competition,” said José Hevia.
Mentioning the different situations of the I-League clubs, he opined, “Right now, three clubs have high potential and high financial situations, like Gokulam Kerala FC, Inter Kashi, and Sreenidi Deccan FC. But what I saw all these days after finishing the Durand Cup and for those almost three months we have been together makes me feel very, very optimistic and makes me think we can be on the top.
“I’m seeing every day how hungry they are. Everyone knows that this year can be a big, big platform for everyone—for the foreigners, for the local players, and the Indian players. So, everyone knows that this project can be a great, great platform to carry on growing as professional football players and, in my case, as a professional coach.”
“At least we’re going to try to be fighting to be at the top of the league. So, maximum expectation, and we’ll see if finally, the ball is inside the goal or not,” Jose Hevia added.
About managing the long gap
Shillong Lajong FC played their last game against NorthEast United FC in the 133rd Durand Cup semi-final on the 26th of August, 2024. Answering a question about managing the team during such a long gap, José Hevia stated, “What we tried was to play at least one practice match against other clubs from Meghalaya. In the last three months, except for one, all the eleven weeks, we have played one match against another team, another club.”
Elaborating further, he said, “We tried to keep that sensation of competitiveness that every player must have to face a competition with the best level. Because if not, it was going to be very, very complicated to keep them thinking and competing if they had no other opponents. We had other clubs from Meghalaya that played against us, and we could also test and check our performance against other opponents.”
About the squad
The club signed multiple players during this summer transfer window, including two foreigners: Spanish midfielder Imanol Arana and Brazilian midfielder Renan Paulino.
Answering a question about the squad’s strength, the Spanish tactician opined that the club has a big advantage because most players in the squad have been with the team since last season. “I think what we’ve got is a big advantage because 95% of the players have been playing together for more than one year.
“So, when you are a coach and you start a project, what you want is to have the maximum connection among all the players. So, I was a lucky coach because all the time we needed to invest to make them play together, to know each other, to know the game style, they already did it,” said José Hevia.
Read More: I-League 2024-25: Full updated squad of Shillong Lajong FC
Commenting on his squad, José Hevia said, “What they have done in these two and a half months is incredible. What I’m seeing right now is that the squad is perfect to face this competition with the maximum level of trying to obtain the maximum reward, the best price.”
Talking about the foreign signings, he mentioned that when the club management asked about the requirements, he specifically asked for a multipurpose midfielder. “The option of Imanol Arana was on the table. I was also watching a lot of videos of him.
“I asked about his performance last season in Namdhari FC, and everyone gave us very good feedback about him. What I saw this week while working together was also very positive. So, I think right now we’ve got a favorable balance in all the positions,” quoted José Hevia.
The second spell: The difference
Addressing a question about his second spell with the club, the Spanish tactician said, “Right now, compared with that time, the idea of the management of the club is completely different. It is a strong and long-term project, a real project to grow, to compete, to win the I-League, and to win the ISL. It’s a long-term project as well. The structure of the club is stronger than before.”
He further elaborated, “The youth academy is working very, very well. And good talent, very good talent from the youth categories is also coming through. So, that was the main difference. Now it’s a real project with a vision, a strong vision to carry on growing and to be one of the strongest players in India.”
Home game advantage in I-league
Referring to a question about the home advantage in the I-League, José Hevia highlighted that the geographical position of Shillong gives the team an edge. He said, “Shillong is placed at a high altitude. For us, it’s an advantage because the teams coming here to play will face challenges higher than when playing in other places in India. So, for us, it’s an advantage. We have the advantage of practicing every day at this high altitude. What we have to do is to try to make the other teams suffer here.”
He added, “The players know, and everyone knows, that we have an advantage playing at home. And we must take advantage of that.”
Difference between leagues
Answering a question about the difference between the Indian league and the Spanish league, the Spanish coach opined that the Indian league is shorter, with a limited number of clubs participating. Jose Hevia stated, “The league must be longer. Only 12 or 13 teams make it a very short period to perform properly. To have the Indian Super League with 18 teams, to have the I-League also with 18 teams, and to make these two competitions stronger than they are now, because of the number of matches.
“When the teams can perform through nine months, as teams all over the world are doing, for sure, the level of football in India will grow a lot.”
Message for fans
The state of Meghalaya is known for its passionate football enthusiasts. The atmosphere during this year’s Durand Cup, held in Shillong, was electrifying. In his message to the fans, the coach said, “What we are going to do in the I-League is what we did in the Durand Cup: put in our maximum intensity, maximum passion, maximum willingness from the first minute to the last minute, trying to win all matches. It’s our target.”
Jose Hevia further added, “We have the mentality of winning. I would like to see everyone in Shillong and Meghalaya coming to watch every match with the same mentality, with the same idea, supporting us as they did. If someone feels Shillong Lajong is something they belong to, the club is yours.
“I request everyone to come to the stadium, support us, and make this atmosphere an explosive atmosphere to reach the best targets.”
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