Profile: The coaching staff of FC Goa for ACL & ISL

The Gaurs will head into the season with a new head coach and backroom team

A new era has begun at FC Goa – who have moved on from the memorable period under Sergio Lobera. With a new, innovative young coach in Juan Ferrando now at the helm, the Gaurs are ready to embrace the daunting challenges ahead. Not only have they appointed a bright head coach, but the support staff around him will also be crucial to their performances. These backroom staff are the backbone of any team’s success – especially when it comes to the Indian Super League, with foreign coaches dealing with the Indian stars.

Goa have appointed a blend of experienced domestic and expert foreign coaches to help maintain the perfect balance and ensure that the squad performs at the highest possible level. Let's look at the support staff at FC Goa:

Juan Ferrando – Head Coach

The Barcelona-born coach has already had quite a decorated coaching career despite being only 39 – much younger than any ordinary manager. He’s been managing since 2009, when he was only 28. Ferrando has worked as a coach for many youth teams around Spain, including former La Liga club Malaga (from 2011 to 2013).

The Spaniard received his big breakthrough at Moldovan club Sheriff Tiraspol and was promoted to head coach after his impressive initial stint as assistant. Ferrando led Sheriff to the UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round for the first time in their history in 2013. While they failed to qualify for the UCL, he ensured qualification to the Europa League knockout stages for only the second time in Sheriff’s history.

Since then, Ferrando has managed a number of clubs around Europe and also helped Greece side Volos achieve consecutive promotions from the fourth division to the second division from 2017 to 2019. The Spaniard’s attacking style will be an asset for FC Goa, but it’s his man-management ability that will come under the radar.

Being under pressure to perform as a successor to someone like Sergio Lobera, it’ll take Ferrando something exceptional to match his predecessor’s heroics and he’ll look to make good use of his valuable experience to ensure the most attractive football for Goa.

Clifford Miranda - Assistant Coach

A former India international, Clifford Miranda is the ideal role-model for budding Indian footballers. After doing a good job as their interim head coach towards the end of last season, he’s retained the role of the assistant coach at FC Goa, to maintain a similar attitude among the young Indian players.

The 38-year-old has played in the ISL in his career, most notably being a part of Goa himself in the inaugural season. Miranda was a really skillful star known for his brilliant dribbling and crossing ability, so he embodies Goa’s philosophy of exciting, attacking football perfectly. He’s also had decent managerial experience, having managed the FC Goa Reserves in the 2018-19 season.

Seeing how Goa performed really well in his stint, Miranda will be key in giving some important points to Ferrando. He’ll ensure that the Indian stars are motivated and performing at the highest level.

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Javi Gonzalez - Assistant Coach/Strength & Conditioning Coach

Ferrando’s fellow countryman arrives as the team’s strength & conditioning coach as well as an assistant to help the Spaniard do his job better at Goa. Gonzalez has years of experience playing at the highest level in Spain, as he was a part of the Atletico Bilbao team that finished runners-up in the 1997/98 season ahead of Real Madrid – their best finish since winning the title in the 1982/83 campaign.

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Javi Gonzalez made more than 200 appearances for Athletic Bilbao and played 10 seasons in LaLiga, so his experience will be extremely invaluable to FC Goa. Being a hard-working, versatile midfielder who could play in a variety of roles back in the day, Gonzalez will be key in reaping the absolute most from players and detecting versatility in the squad.

His impressive fitness routines will also be key in keeping the players in prime physical shape throughout the exhausting campaign. As an external ear for Ferrando, Javi could play a big role in stopping the tactics of FC Goa from becoming predictable.

Roma Cullinera - Conditioning Coach

Another coach retained by Ferrando from last season’s setup, Roma Cullinera is also going to act as the conditioning coach for the Gaurs. A vastly experienced individual, the Spaniard has worked for various clubs in Spain and also worked under former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele for KAS Eupen in the Belgian first division.

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He also worked under former Real Madrid star Luis Garcia at CF Damm before taking up the job at Goa. With his mantra of communicating regularly with the squad to keep them fully fit, he’ll aim to continue his good work as the conditioning coach of the side.

Cullinera’s job is to plan and execute the day-to-day physical training sessions of the players to keep them fully fit for Ferrando’s tactical style. He is responsible for every training drill and innovations to keep the squad razor sharp. With the season taking place solely on the Gaurs’ home turf and games approaching at a rapid pace, Cullinera will play a key role in ensuring that every player can operate at their very best going forward.

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Virender Singh - Goalkeeper Coach

A former India international, best known for his heroics in India’s 1-0 win over UAE in 2001, Virender Singh has also been retained as the goalkeeping coach for the Gaurs. Singh had a long career in Indian football and has proven himself as a very good coach – courtesy of Mohammed Nawaz’s excellent work for Goa.

He now has to elevate Nawaz to the next level, especially to help him collect crosses better and be more dominant in the box. He also has two other young goalkeepers in Shubham Dhas and Dylan Ignacio da Silva to work with. So, Virender will need to prove his mettle as one of the best goalkeeping coaches this time around too.

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