The decision from the club management to sack coach Sergio Lobera has left FC Goa players upset, who were not aware that the Spaniard would be fired midway during the 2019-’20 season, according to club captain Mandar Rao Dessai.
FC Goa parted ways with Lobera on Saturday with Clifford Miranda being named as interim coach. Dessai revealed the club players still miss Lobera and dedicated their 4-1 victory against Hyderabad FC on Wednesday to him as the Gaurs became the first team to secure playoff qualification this season.
“When we lose the coach who had built a strong team from a long time, all the players were very sad in the dressing room when we got to know about his news. But we still have to continue and from all the players, we dedicate this game to the coach,” Dessai was quoted as saying by Goal.com after the match.
He added, “I don’t exactly know what happened. Might be something with the management because the players didn’t know anything about this. We were really upset. It was not a great moment at this point of time to sack the coach but we still have to continue, keep our heads high. We still have two games left and we have to finish top of the table. Coach has built this team and we are following his philosophy. I think we can finish at the top and make it to the Asian Champions League.”
The decision to fire Lobera has received a lot of criticism with many fans demanding to bring him back. Dessai added that Lobera’s void would be hard to fill given how he impressed everyone with his philosophy and improved the level of Indian players at the club.
“If we win games people still miss him on the bench. Also, the players miss him. We still play in his style and that’s why people remember him. All the players and the fans liked the style that Lobera brought in,” the left-back mentioned.
He added, “Lobera has given a lot not only for Goan football but also to the players. Especially the Indian players, he has helped a lot and prepared them for the national team. We cannot forget someone who always motivated us and gave us an opportunity to play in this league and move forward.”
Meanwhile, Miranda downplayed the notion that Lobera’s departure had left a negative impact in the dressing room. Citing their performance against Hyderabad FC, Miranda said the focus and determination of FC Goa players was still the same.
“There’s no negativity in the team. We are professionals and are being paid to do our jobs,” Miranda said at the post-match presser.
“As you could see, the performance [against Hyderabad] was right up there. I didn’t have to do much. The players have been there together for a long time. We can only guide them and that’s what Technical Director Derrick Pereira and I have been doing,” he stated.