ISL 2022-23: I want my FC Goa team to be proactive and be brave in matches: Carlos Pena

FC Goa’s new head coach Carlos Pena wants his team to be proactive and brave in the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League 2022-23. Pena played for the Gaurs between 2018 and 2020 and thus he is familiar with the style of play of the club and its players.

The 44-year-old led Albacete Balompie to the top position in the Primera Division RFEF in Spain and will look to replicate the same success with FC Goa.

The veteran has all the experience under his belt and he will look to get the best out of the players. As Pena has the exposure of playing with some of the Gaur’s players, he will know how to get them on the right track. Furthermore, being a former player of the same club, he will be aware of the dressing room atmosphere.

Pena wants FC Goa to be aggressive while playing in both attack and defense.

Pena said while talking to the official Hero ISL website, “I like my teams to be proactive, and one that doesn’t wait for things to happen in games. I like my teams to be brave offensively and defensively. For me this is the most important thing in the team as a player, this is the way I have enjoyed and this is what I have put in my teams.”

Commenting on the team’s style of play, Pena said, “The style of FC Goa for most of these years is to control the game, keep the ball and play an attacking style. FC Goa fans like to see their team creating chances and scoring goals and we are going to work towards that. Of course, I have my own style as a coach. I don’t like to compare teams, comparing coaches and summarise the style of the team in 2-3 sentences is really poor but to sum it up I will go for a team that is brave, it will go for it in games and it would be a team that you’ll recognise on the pitch with its own identity.”

As any ISL team can have four foreign and seven Indian players in their playing XI, Pena reckons the local players will play a huge role in the success of the team.

The Spaniard added, “You can use only use four foreign players and seven Indian players, so the Indian players in terms of numbers are very important. I also know the influence of foreign players is important, not just in terms of football but also helping them in terms of their qualities. The coaches who come from abroad, we need to help the Indian players, and help them grow and improve. That’s our job.”

Pena will look to get the best out of his players in the forthcoming season. Meanwhile, FC Goa had a disappointing run in Hero ISL 2021-22 season as they managed only four wins in 20 matches to finish at the ninth place in the standings, and thus they could not qualify for the semifinals. Thus, Carlos Pena will be determined to turn the tables in the next season.