FC Goa DoF Ravi Puskur on replacing players & Indian transfer market

The man at the helm of all things football at FC Goa speaks candidly about getting the right players.

In a recent exclusive interview, Khel Now sat down with FC Goa’s Director of Football, Ravi Puskur on the 'Beyond the Scores' podcast. In a detailed chat with us, Puskur explained the dos and don’ts that go into their club’s transfer procedures. He was appointed to the role of FC Goa DoF back in 2019 and soon enough, the team won the League Winners' Shield in ISL 2019-20.

Over the years, Puskur has also been instrumental in bringing in the right players and coaching staff, to ensure that a winning mentality is created around the club. Here are some of the important excerpts from his interview with us:

Role of a DoF in Europe & India

World football is well aware of the term 'Director of Football.' Ever since the inception of the ISL, these hierarchical positions in a club’s structure have slowly taken shape. On the difference between the role of a DoF in Europe and India, Ravi Puskur said, “The DoF role in Europe is a clear-cut idea. It is strictly to do with scouting and recruiting and doesn’t necessarily entail the operational aspect of things. In India, I think no club is at that point where a DoF will solely focus on one aspect.

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"Effectively speaking, football clubs here are still functioning as start-ups," he further added.

Preparing for transfers

https://youtu.be/xaz7g92DNVQ

“My job for the next transfer window begins the moment the current transfer window closes,” he noted. A major part of the operations of a football club is transfers. Be it players or coaches, there is a certain way of going about the whole process. “Whatever the result on the pitch may be, it is important to understand them as a human being, be it a coach or player."

One of the things to tick off the list while dealing with transfers, according to Ravi Puskur, is whether the person in contention will integrate well with the team and its culture. Genuine interest in India and Indian football can also be some benchmarks while scouting players.

The FC Goa DoF went on to underline the importance of a team that works tirelessly behind the scenes. “While you might see my signature on the piece of paper that is finally signed, there is a lot of thought behind the team that I have with me,” he revealed.

Striking a deal with an ISL club

At the very outset of being quizzed on this, Puskur breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thankfully, ISL isn’t as murky as the English Premier League, or any other European league, where a hundred people are involved between two clubs.” A direct phone call to the other club’s counterpart suffices in these kinds of deals.

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Deciding the right valuation of players

A release clause is mentioned in the player's contract. On meeting the amount mentioned in this clause, the player can then be eligible for sale. Ravi Puskur adds, “We see how the market is doing and what it is pricing certain players. Accordingly, we try to come up with a fair price.”

This kind of transfer goes both ways. If a club has an intention to sell someone and the player doesn’t want to stay, a fair valuation is awaited. “If we have no interest in selling the player, trust me I will never quote anything below 5 crores,” he joked.

System of Free agents in near future

We have seen most of the ISL clubs dishing out good sums of money for players in this transfer window. A concept like that of free agents is very much present in Europe and beyond, but India is yet to be a party to it. “I don’t think we are very far from that day. Clubs have a set system now, where they sign players for long-term contracts. If I go shopping for a player who is very good, the club is bound to put a transfer fee on him. I don’t see how it’s going to last very long, but cycles do end and there are players as free agents. It’s all about who’s the sharpest and fastest to get them,” the Goa DoF said optimistically.

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On attracting better Asian foreigners into the league

With the new rules, each club can only field four foreigners on the field at a time. “I wouldn’t say ISL clubs are struggling to get better quality on board. I do think there’s a huge amount of quality in the league this year. Once things open up and we go back to a normal scenario, it won’t be such a difficult attempt to bring in players.

"The perception about Indian football is definitely changing there,” reassured the man who played an important role in FC Goa signing of Australian centre-back Dylan Fox this summer.

Maintaining level of quality with replacements

FC Goa did have to find some replacements in positions where players decided to part ways with the club. The departure of Igor Angulo and the task of replacing him is a prime example. However, Puskur doesn’t feel any pressure in these sorts of situations. Rather, he loves a good challenge.

“We are always open to that idea of having to replace anybody. I don’t believe any individual is bigger than the club. We always want to go out there and improve. If we feel we did seven out of 10 things right last season, we want to do eight out of 10 things right this season,” beamed Ravi.

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