Exclusive: We can qualify for the play offs - Jofre Mateu

The midfielder joining FC Goa was the best decision of his career and wants to sray in India for a long time…

FC Goa suffered a fourth defeat of the Indian Super League against Kerala Blasters at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Monday. Spanish midfielder Jofre Mateu played a crucial role in the match as they were leading 1-0 at half-time but unfortunately he was substituted due to a leg injury. “I was feeling something in the leg from the start of the match, so I told the coach about it and asked for the replacement at half-time,” said Jofre. Talking about the match he said, “Though we had scored the first goal of the match we were not controlling the game. They had better possession and in the second half, it was too early for us to concede and that’s where it all went wrong.” However the Guars have always been slow starters traditionally, and this season’s start was one of the worst compared to the last two seasons, as they have lost 4 matches and managed to come up with only four points from six matches. But, Jofre is very confident about FC Goa’s place in the play-offs. “I have good feelings for the next games and even if it doesn’t happen we have to keep calm and never give up for the next. So, I trust in the team and I think we can be there. Of course it is not the best way to begin, but we have time to make up,” he said. FC Goa had one of the shortest pre-seasons, but as per the Spaniard the training in Brazil was successful and helped them a lot in every aspect. He also believes that the standard of the ISL this year and in the last two seasons is almost the same. Because he thinks that every team is playing to win. He has been one of the better players for FC Goa this season. But he thinks that in the match against Chennaiyin, his performance was not good enough. However his never-say-die attitude has helped his side in every match after that. “You just need to focus and help the team, work harder, run more than the opponent and forget about your previous performances. Just try to help the team to keep points,” he explained When asked if the absence of Leo Moura is making any difference to the team he said, “Leo is always missed. He is a big player and it is always better to have him in your team than not. But unfortunately he is not here. But we have other players.” According to the 36-year-old midfielder, Atletico de Kolkata rejected him last season so he had to look for another game, another place another team. But he thinks it was his best decision to come down to Goa as he is very happy with the team now. He came to India in 2014 to live and experience the place. Though it was just a profession assignment, Jofre fell in love with India “I am absolutely in love with the league, with the competition, with the place. So I’m very happy, I saw many things here in India. They make me feel like a professional footballer, as I did feel many years ago. So, I’m just trying to give back those feelings out in the league and trying to have a good performance and stay here for long.” Photo © ISL Media