"I feel that I still have a lot to contribute to Indian football" - Hyderabad FC skipper Joao Victor

Defending Indian Super League (ISL) champions Hyderabad FC (HFC)'s skipper Joao Victor scored a brace in his team's opening fixture against Mumbai City FC, which ended in an enthralling 3-3 draw at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Joao Victor explained the impact coach Manolo has had on the entire set-up, his experience in India and how the Durand Cup helped in team bonding.

Here are the excerpts:

Q. Talk to us about the impact coach Manolo has had on the entire set-up and his training sessions.

A: He is our leader and everybody trusts him. He is the kind of coach that likes to talk to everyone. He likes to know a bit about everyone’s lives. He is very good at managing the group. For me, this is the most important thing in football. Also, his training sessions are never boring. We enjoy every exercise in every session.

Q. Do you think the team's participation in the Durand Cup helped in bonding and coordination ahead of the title defense?

A: The coach has said many times that he was using the Durand Cup as a pre-season. You'd have seen many different players getting minutes. Of course, it’s better to play a competition than just friendly matches, especially for the new players. They got a chance to understand how our team works in a real competition and how to play with a bit of “pressure”.

Q. You’ve played in different countries. Take us through the experience and your time in India.

A: When you live in different countries with different cultures, you acquire a lot of experience. It's also when you play for different teams with different coaches, different teammates. All of this, if you’re smart, will help you grow as a player and as a person.

Here, as I said from the first season, we have the best group of people I’ve ever worked with. That’s why I am still here. I feel that I still have a lot to contribute to Indian football and mostly, of course, to HFC.

Q. Hyderabad FC came back from behind against ATK Mohun Bagan in the semi-final first leg and against Kerala Blasters FC in the final of ISL 2021-22. What was the team’s mindset when you were behind in such high-pressure situations?

A: Actually, it's not just this game, there have been some other games also where we could have done the same. The key is that we are an amazing group. We support each other all the time. When we lose matches or make mistakes, we don’t blame each other, we just talk it over as a team and keep going. We have the confidence of the coach and his staff. We are friends and we enjoy playing together.

When you enjoy what you do and you’re happy with the people around you, in the end, the result will always be good.

Q. The club has retained most of the core team and also added some new talents. Your thoughts on which Indian players will be influential for the upcoming season?

A: I think all Indian players should be influential. In a league where you can have just four foreigners on the pitch, Indian players need to assume a lot more responsibility. We have a very good squad with a mix of experience and young players. It’s our third year together and we know each other well. We know that if we want to repeat last season or do it even better, we need to step up. From top to bottom, from the owner and the coach to the youngest player in the squad, everyone needs to step up again.

Q. Fans will be back at the stadium and the team will be playing at home after two long seasons away. Is that something you are looking forward to and what is your message to the fans?

A: It’s amazing that we can have the fans back after two years of playing in an empty stadium. We already saw what they can do. I hope to see plenty of people coming to our matches and supporting us because, in the end, we do what we do to make the fans happy.