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It is no secret that Juan Ferrando's FC Goa are a side going through transition. With Sergio Lobera moving on to Mumbai City FC, Ferrando has worked hard with Ravi Puskur to build a team in his image. One of the few players who will be instrumental in doing that is 36-year-old Igor Angulo.
The Spaniard, who signed towards the end of July, was a priority target for Ferrando ahead of the season, especially following the departure of sharpshooter Ferran 'Coro' Corominas. Coro spent three highly successful seasons with FC Goa, and is now a part of the club's folklore.
Coro also won the Golden Boot on two occasions, and remains the only player to have done so. Besides, the 37-year-old also holds the record of having scored the most number of goals in the history of the ISL, with 48 goals in 57 appearances, scoring at a rate of .84 goals per game.
These are most definitely big boots to be filled, but Igor Angulo remains confident. After all, he has been quite successful in the pre-season friendlies ahead of their much-awaited clash against Bengaluru FC to kick off their 2020/21 Indian Super League campaign.
Here are a few things everyone in the ISL, including fans, need to know about the new FC Goa sharpshooter.
All you need to know about Igor Angulo
Played in the La Liga
Igor Angulo has made a handful of appearances in the Spanish top-flight with Athletic Bilbao. Having joined the fledgling club as a 19-year-old, Angulo was promoted to the first team in 2003.
However, as he could not break into the first team, Angulo was sent on loan until the end of 2007. The 2004-05 season saw the Spaniard make three appearances in the La Liga, a remarkable achievement despite not having managed to score any goals.
Apart from La Liga, Igor Angulo has played in the top-flight league in Poland and Greece.
Experience in UEFA Competitions
The 36-year-old first played in a UEFA competition with Athletic Bilbao in the 2004-05 season, where he made just one appearance. Although UEFA competitions eluded him for most of his career, Igor Angulo managed to make four appearances for Polish club Górnik Zabrze in the UEFA Europa League in the 2018-19 season.
Contesting in the AFC Champions League
Before signing with FC Goa, Igor Angulo made a few inquires on what he could expect from Indian football. He reportedly held conversations with Kibu Vicuna (current Kerala Blasters head coach), Javi Hernandez (midfielder for ATK Mohun Bagan), and Carlos Pena (former FC Goa player) before signing.
Igor Angulo has also publically stated that he signed with The Gaurs due to their ambition to win trophies. He has also expressed his desire to play in the AFC Champions League, with FC Goa being the only club from India playing in the competition.
A penchant for scoring goals
Despite not scoring as many goals early on in his career, Angulo has been a sharpshooter for the Polish side Górnik Zabrze in the Ekstraklasa, the Polish top-flight league. Having signed with the club in 2016, Igor Angulo made 137 appearances and netted 80 goals in his four-year stay with the club.
His prowess and consistent ability to find the back of the net has made him an apt successor to the recently-departed Coro.
