"It’s very helpful for me as a coach to have players who have worked with me before": Odisha FC boss Sergio Lobera on roping in former players

When Sergio Lobera went on a spree of signing old guards right after joining Odisha FC, unsurprisingly, plenty of eyebrows were raised. Was the Spaniard's overreliance on aging players justified? Well, considering the Juggernauts' initial blip across competitions, the doubts were pretty justified.

But recently during an interaction with the Indian Super League (ISL) media team, Lobera explained his stance on trusting players he had worked with previously like Mourtada Fall, Ahmed Jahouh, Cy Goddard, and Amey Ranawade.

“A lot of people ask me why I sign players who have worked with me before. It’s because I know these players both as professionals as well as persons. It’s very important to build a good connection between the Indian players and the foreign players," the 46-year-old gaffer explained.

"They need to understand and help to improve the level of Indian players during training sessions as well as both on and off the pitch. They are heroes for some of the Indian players. It’s very helpful for me as a coach to have players who have worked with me before, because I need to implement my ideas, philosophies, and style of play," he added.

Furthermore, Odisha's performance has slowly started to submit evidence to Lobera's reasoning. They have won four games on the trot across competitions, including a comprehensive 2-5 victory over Mohun Bagan SG in the AFC Cup.

Lobera's effort isn't just a build a team with familiar faces but to impart a feeling of family across the club. During the interaction, he expanded on the idea, saying:

“We are building a family, because I am sure we are going to live good moments and bad moments, and for me the winning team is the one that manages the bad moments better.”

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"Wanted to come back here because I was happy" - Sergio Lobera talks about his return to India

Mumbai City FC fans bid farewell to Sergio Lobera with heavy hearts in the summer of 2021 after he led the Islanders to an iconic league double in the Indian Super League.

The Spaniard left the country to join Chinese outfit Sichuan Jiuniu FC. But when the rumors of Lobera returning to ISL surfaced this year, fans of his tactical prowess were eager for the move to materialize.

Ultimately, thwarting interest from another ISL club, Odisha FC managed to secure the signature of the Spanish tactician. But during the interview with the ISL media team, Lobera explained that the interest wasn't one way. He too wanted to return to India for the love and warmth he had received from the country during his time at Mumbai City.

“I think you come back to the place where you feel happy. If you didn’t work well, didn’t like the environment, the organization, the ISL competition, you wouldn’t want to come back, would you? The reason to come back here is that when I worked before here, I was happy. It means a lot. Foreign players have options from other countries, maybe with more money, but I especially wanted to come back here because I was happy. It is a very good place to work in,” Lobera underlined.

For Indian fans, it's a real emblem of honor when a coach of Lobera's caliber highlights their reception. Meanwhile, Odisha FC will hope that the love story between the fans and the Spaniard can continue for a long time.