The plan is to make Odisha FC fans proud, says Josep Gombau

The club will play its first match on 17th August against NorthEast United in the Durand Cup.

Josep Gombau, the most successful manager in the history of Odisha FC is back on the hot seat. The man from Catalonia will be eager to get the Kalinga Warriors to their maiden playoff spot. They finished eleventh and seventh in the two seasons since his departure; a poor string of finishes given the money spent on roping in some top-class foreigners.

However, ahead of ISL 2022/23, the Juggernauts have strengthened their squad with quality Indian players. Signings like Narender Gehlot, Raynier Fernandes, and Michael Soosairaj add to the roster's calibre. The club will be starting their season with the Durand Cup. Meanwhile, the club had arranged for the season's first press conference. Head coach Josep Gombau, assistant coach Clifford Miranda, and club President Raj Athwal faced the media in the same.

Gombau on his return to the club

Gombau was previously appointed as the head coach of the club ahead of their 2019/20 ISL season. He led them to a sixth-placed finish, scoring 28 goals and conceding 31. In their three-year history, it is their highest placed finish. A few weeks back, Odisha FC brought him back on the hot seat.

The head coach spoke on his return by saying, "I'm so happy to be here again. I'm very grateful to the management of the club for giving me this opportunity to become the head coach of Odisha FC. We are finally back to Odisha FC after two seasons in the Indian Super League. I saw many many changes here, the facilities are much better. We can see that the recruiters of the club have done an outstanding job. The plan is to make a strong team and make the fans of Odisha proud."

Raj Athwal on Gombau's appointment as Head Coach

Raj Athwal has extensive experience working as a commercial head for clubs in the UK. He was pivotal in reappointing Gombau as the Head Coach ahead of a long season. The President commented, "Appointing Josep was almost a no-brainer. He's been here before and was very successful in his previous managerial role. His attributes, the skillset he brings, his experience and knowledge, is exactly where we are today as a football club. So, for the senior team, the management, and the ownership, Josep was the one."

Josep Gombau on the potential of youngsters in the squad

Odisha FC have a large number of exciting young players. Despite the possession, they have failed to get them to fire consistently. Last year, the Juggernauts depended on the heroics of Javi Hernandez and Jonathas de Jesus to pull them out of the tough situations. Gombau will be tasked with getting the youngsters to take up more responsibility in their respective roles.

"We have a very good pool of young players starting from Shubham (Sarangi), Narender (Gahlot), Thoiba (Moirangthem), Isak (Vanlalruatfela). These players are very young. Many players are coming from the reserve team and for sure, this year they can make the jump to the first team," he quipped.

Thoughts on the Durand Cup

This year's edition of the Durand Cup will feature all eleven teams of the ISL. The 131st edition of the tournament will kick off on 16th August. Odisha FC have been grouped with NorthEast United, Kerala Blasters, Sudeva Delhi FC, and Army Green FT.

Gombau asserted, "For us, it's an important tournament. It is the second oldest tournament in the world - which is a big thing for us as a club. So, we are happy to play the Durand Cup. All the players are together, except some who are arriving this week. We are taking the Durand Cup seriously and we will try to win the competition."

Clifford Miranda on nurturing local talent

With 45 caps for India, Clifford Miranda is a known face in Indian Football. He was associated with FC Goa between 2018 and 2022 in many roles like the reserves coach and the assistant coach. Goa have produced many local talents over the last few years. Miranda spoke on what is crucial for bringing local talent to the forefront.

"In my opinion, the most important thing is the culture of football. If the state wants to develop players, you need to develop the culture. It's important that we get our kids to play football. Not just the parents, the community, the press, and the state government - everyone must get involved to instil this culture," opined the assistant coach.

He went on to add, "When I see kids here moving around, the structure is fantastic. We need to give them a platform right from the grassroots level where they can develop as football players."