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Juan Ferrando joined FC Goa on the 30th of April and will be succeeding Sergio Lobera as the head coach. The latter has also set the bar quite high for Ferrando as he aims to lead The Gaurs in their 'transition phase'. FC Goa will open their season against Bengaluru FC at Fatorda Stadium on November 22.
The pre-season has lasted two weeks with the situation being anything but ideal. The pre-season has also witnessed FC Goa secure a 3-2 win in a friendly match over Jamshedpur FC. Juan Ferrando, however, went on to state that he is working closely with the staff to ensure that the team is prepared for the fixtures ahead.
"Firstly, I am happy to be back in the activities on the pitch. It is a very short pre-season, and is not ideal, especially before the start of a tournament like the Indian Super League. So far, I have been speaking with the medical and fitness staff and we are working on a recovery program in the morning and the evening. Our focus is the first game against Bengaluru FC, and it is back to work," Juan Ferrando said.
I am not thinking about the opposition: Juan Ferrando
FC Goa face off against Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC in their first two matches, both of which are tough opponents. However, Juan Ferrando stated that his job was to focus more on his team as opposed to the team they would be facing.
"I am not thinking about the opposition. I have a job and my job is to prepare my team for the next match. The Indian Super League is a difficult championship and we have to play against each and every team at some point. Therefore, it does not really matter that we have two tough matches to start against Bengaluru and Mumbai," said Ferrando.
Juan Ferrando also shed some light on the fixtures and how his side would cope with the AFC competitions as well. The 39-year-old also added that the staff at FC Goa has been aiming at bringing the team together in one way or another.
"Football in Europe is a good example of what we are going through. Many teams play their league matches, cup matches, and UEFA competitions and have managed to keep their players fit. The same will apply to us at FC Goa as well.
"The staff and I have worked quite hard in the last two weeks working on different aspects of the game including set-pieces. We are working on bringing the team together and we are trying to play out different scenarios. Of course, set pieces are very important but we need to figure things out accordingly," he concluded.
