What a difference two minutes can make in football. As the clock ticked past the 89th-minute mark in the final of the 2015 Indian Super League on December 20, FC Goa and its manager Zico stood on the brink of richly-deserved glory in front of their own fans. A triumph that would have been over 16 months in the making, right from the day the Brazilian laid down the blueprint for Goa's carefree style of play – which would go on to resonate with its people and enthrall the country for two seasons.
Instead, by the 91st minute, uncontained joy had made way for unbearable despair. Chennaiyin FC had snatched the title away from the home side in scarcely believable manner. For Goa, a region obsessed with football, it was truly a calamity. You could not help but feel sympathy towards the Goans and especially the capacity crowd that had proudly waved their orange flags throughout the night.
But that sentiment changed almost as rapidly as Goa's fortunes did before it. When news of the club's appallingly petty behavior post the final whistle filtered through, it undid nearly all of the goodwill FC Goa had earned under Zico – something which had firmly made the club a neutral's favorite.
'Unreasonable' behaviour
The match commissioner's strongly-worded report, submitted to the All India Football Federation, delivered a damning verdict on the club's actions and recommended heavy punishment. It summarised Goa's behaviour as "unreasonable, undisciplined, bullish and frightening" -- none of which you would have ever associated with the club, either on or off the field, before that ill-fated night.
The report cited how the club's substitute players and officials threatened and abused the Japanese referees. It dismissed claims that Chennai's marquee player Elano had assaulted and abused Goan club's co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar, which saw the latter inexcusably register an FIR against the Brazilian player and have him arrested. On the contrary, the report stated that Elano was "surrounded by many players and officials of FC Goa who were pushing him" and blamed the owners for joining in with them rather than striving to stop the fracas.
Furthermore, Salgaocar, who had already taken bitterness to extraordinary heights, also asserted his belief that Chennai's triumph was "pre-decided". Even small sections of the crowd, via chants, alleged that the match was fixed. While the Goans were clearly upset by the referee's decisions, their claims were baseless. Both the penalties awarded to Chennai were correct calls and although defender Mehrajuddin Wadoo may have narrowly escaped a second yellow card in the first half, there was nothing suspiciously odd about any decision made by the officials.
Zico’s legacy tarnished
Most unfortunately, though, the week that ought to have been devoted to Zico and the appreciation of the legacy he leaves behind has been doused in negativity towards the club. Instead of marvelling at the work done by the Brazilian and his staff over two wonderful seasons, FC Goa's post-match antics have put football firmly in the back seat – which is exactly opposite to what the Brazilian manager stands for.
Zico's team united a football-mad region, otherwise divided by club loyalties, through the most sumptuous brand of football seen in the ISL. He has continued to be the moral guardian of 'The Beautiful Game' in striving to play the sport the way it should be: to enjoy and entertain. Even in the face of adversity, when clubs opted to use rough tactics to unsettle his team, Zico smartly adapted to the challenge but never undermined his own philosophy in the process.
Cast your minds back to the inaugural season of the ISL. Goa managed only one win in their first seven matches and languished at the bottom of the league. Zico, however, swore by his philosophy and his players swore by him. All other managers, even Antonio Habas who led Atletico De Kolkata to the trophy, succumbed to short-termism sooner or later and adopted a destructive, safety-first approach.
Not Zico, though. Without a full preseason to bank on, he believed his team just needed more time to click on the pitch. They eventually did: Goa won five of their remaining seven fixtures to finish a point off the top and storm into the semi-finals. A patient passing approach coupled with speed on the wings gave his team a unique attacking identity on the pitch.
The second season was simply about continuity. Even though the club failed in retaining key foreign players from the previous season, FC Goa's trump card was always going to be its Brazilian manager. Goa scored 55 goals over two seasons (only Chennai scored more) and the club's top-scorers netted a mere five and seven goals respectively in both seasons – showing that the emphasis was always on the collective.
Zico had a remarkably positive influence on his players. Only against FC Goa was there a genuine fear of offensive-minded Indian opponents as wingers Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai, the two pillars of Goa's attacking play, came into their own. Several players -- such as Mandar, Romeo and forwards Reinaldo and Thongkhosiem Haokip – firmly credited their improved performances to the manager's influence.
In Zico's own words, a return to the ISL next season is unlikely. It's a real pity that the aftermath of his farewell game was marred by the idiocy of the club's owners. Sure, Zico himself was not too happy with the Japanese referees (he questioned their appointment in the first place) and was aggrieved by their failure in controlling what he deemed to be un-football-like tactics by the opponents. But he still wanted his team to be part of the post-match presentation. Only "orders by the president" prevented him from doing so.
It spoke volumes of his respect for the game that even in those moments of absolute frustration, Zico was keen on upholding its laws. FC Goa, and the ISL, should consider it a privilege to be graced by a football man like him.
Akarsh Sharma is a Delhi-based writer who occasionally tweets here.
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Instead, by the 91st minute, uncontained joy had made way for unbearable despair. Chennaiyin FC had snatched the title away from the home side in scarcely believable manner. For Goa, a region obsessed with football, it was truly a calamity. You could not help but feel sympathy towards the Goans and especially the capacity crowd that had proudly waved their orange flags throughout the night.
But that sentiment changed almost as rapidly as Goa's fortunes did before it. When news of the club's appallingly petty behavior post the final whistle filtered through, it undid nearly all of the goodwill FC Goa had earned under Zico – something which had firmly made the club a neutral's favorite.
'Unreasonable' behaviour
The match commissioner's strongly-worded report, submitted to the All India Football Federation, delivered a damning verdict on the club's actions and recommended heavy punishment. It summarised Goa's behaviour as "unreasonable, undisciplined, bullish and frightening" -- none of which you would have ever associated with the club, either on or off the field, before that ill-fated night.
The report cited how the club's substitute players and officials threatened and abused the Japanese referees. It dismissed claims that Chennai's marquee player Elano had assaulted and abused Goan club's co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar, which saw the latter inexcusably register an FIR against the Brazilian player and have him arrested. On the contrary, the report stated that Elano was "surrounded by many players and officials of FC Goa who were pushing him" and blamed the owners for joining in with them rather than striving to stop the fracas.
Furthermore, Salgaocar, who had already taken bitterness to extraordinary heights, also asserted his belief that Chennai's triumph was "pre-decided". Even small sections of the crowd, via chants, alleged that the match was fixed. While the Goans were clearly upset by the referee's decisions, their claims were baseless. Both the penalties awarded to Chennai were correct calls and although defender Mehrajuddin Wadoo may have narrowly escaped a second yellow card in the first half, there was nothing suspiciously odd about any decision made by the officials.
Zico’s legacy tarnished
Most unfortunately, though, the week that ought to have been devoted to Zico and the appreciation of the legacy he leaves behind has been doused in negativity towards the club. Instead of marvelling at the work done by the Brazilian and his staff over two wonderful seasons, FC Goa's post-match antics have put football firmly in the back seat – which is exactly opposite to what the Brazilian manager stands for.
Zico's team united a football-mad region, otherwise divided by club loyalties, through the most sumptuous brand of football seen in the ISL. He has continued to be the moral guardian of 'The Beautiful Game' in striving to play the sport the way it should be: to enjoy and entertain. Even in the face of adversity, when clubs opted to use rough tactics to unsettle his team, Zico smartly adapted to the challenge but never undermined his own philosophy in the process.
Cast your minds back to the inaugural season of the ISL. Goa managed only one win in their first seven matches and languished at the bottom of the league. Zico, however, swore by his philosophy and his players swore by him. All other managers, even Antonio Habas who led Atletico De Kolkata to the trophy, succumbed to short-termism sooner or later and adopted a destructive, safety-first approach.
Not Zico, though. Without a full preseason to bank on, he believed his team just needed more time to click on the pitch. They eventually did: Goa won five of their remaining seven fixtures to finish a point off the top and storm into the semi-finals. A patient passing approach coupled with speed on the wings gave his team a unique attacking identity on the pitch.
The second season was simply about continuity. Even though the club failed in retaining key foreign players from the previous season, FC Goa's trump card was always going to be its Brazilian manager. Goa scored 55 goals over two seasons (only Chennai scored more) and the club's top-scorers netted a mere five and seven goals respectively in both seasons – showing that the emphasis was always on the collective.
Zico had a remarkably positive influence on his players. Only against FC Goa was there a genuine fear of offensive-minded Indian opponents as wingers Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai, the two pillars of Goa's attacking play, came into their own. Several players -- such as Mandar, Romeo and forwards Reinaldo and Thongkhosiem Haokip – firmly credited their improved performances to the manager's influence.
In Zico's own words, a return to the ISL next season is unlikely. It's a real pity that the aftermath of his farewell game was marred by the idiocy of the club's owners. Sure, Zico himself was not too happy with the Japanese referees (he questioned their appointment in the first place) and was aggrieved by their failure in controlling what he deemed to be un-football-like tactics by the opponents. But he still wanted his team to be part of the post-match presentation. Only "orders by the president" prevented him from doing so.
It spoke volumes of his respect for the game that even in those moments of absolute frustration, Zico was keen on upholding its laws. FC Goa, and the ISL, should consider it a privilege to be graced by a football man like him.
Akarsh Sharma is a Delhi-based writer who occasionally tweets here.
