ISL 2021-22: FC Goa confirms Juan Ferrando’s departure

Speaking
on
Ferrando’s
departure,
Director
of
Football,
Ravi
Puskur
said
in
a
media
release,
“We’re
very
disappointed
to
lose
Juan.
His
decision
to
leave
the
club
was
rather
unexpected
and
came
as
a
surprise,
particularly
at
this
juncture
of
the
season,
where
we
are
in
the
middle
of
the
season.

“We’re
particularly
disappointed
that
we
were
kept
in
the
dark
until
yesterday
morning
where
he
communicated
his
desire
to
leave
the
club.
However,
once
he
stated
his
stance
and
the
release
clause
was
activated,
we
were
left
with
little
alternative.
I
wish
Juan
the
best
for
his
future.”

Juan
Ferrando
leaves
FC
Goa,
set
to
join
ATK
Mohun
Bagan

Under
Ferrando,
the
Gaurs
had
created
history
by
becoming
the
first
Indian
club
to
earn
a
point
in
the
Asian
Football
Confederation
(AFC)
Champions
League
group
stages.

Taking
charge
ahead
of
the
2020-21
ISL
season,
Ferrando
guided
FC
Goa
to
the
semifinals
of
the
play-offs,
losing
to
eventual
champions
Mumbai
City
FC
on
penalties.

The
Gaurs
also
managed
to
win
their
first
tournament
while
Ferrando
was
at
the
helm
when
they
lifted
the
Durand
Cup,
defeating
Mohammedan
Sportig
1-0
in
the
final
at
Salt
Lake
Stadium
earlier
this
year.

Durand
Cup
2021:
FC
Goa
reign
supreme

With
Ferrando
leaving,
assistant
coach
Clifford
Miranda
will
take
interim
charge
of
the
first
team.

The
club
will
make
further
announcements
in
due
course,
the
FC
Goa
statement
added.

After
a
poor
start
to
their
ISL
2021-22
campaign,
the
Gaurs
were
slowly
pulling
things
back
to
normal
when
the
development
happened.

Goa,
who
were
once
languishing
at
the
bottom
of
the
points
table,
are
currently
ninth.

POINTS
TABLE
|

RESULTS
|

FIXTURES

It
is
presumed
that
Ferrando
is
set
to
join
ISL
rivals
ATKMB
after
having
triggered
a
release
clause
in
his
contract,
allowing
him
to
leave
the
club
with
immediate
effect,
a
move
which
has
not
gone
well
with
the
Gaurs
management.

The
release
clause
allows
other
clubs
to
sign
a
player
or
coach
from
his
or
her
current
club
for
a
particular
amount,
which
the
player
or
coach
is
required
to
pay.

ISL
2021-22
Team
News:
ATK
Mohun
Bagan
sack
head
coach
Antonio
Lopez
Habas

After
a
string
of
poor
results,
ATKMB
had
sacked
Antonio
Habas
on
Saturday
(December
18).

“With
disappointment
I’d
like
to
confirm
that
@JuanFerrandoF
has
triggered
his
release
clause,
obliging
us
to
release
him
of
his
duties
so
that
he
can
join
@atkmohunbaganfc.
As
long
the
money
gets
deposited
in
our
accounts,
we
do
not
have
a
choice
in
his
decision,”
FC
Goa
President
and
co-owner
Akshay
Tandon
tweeted.

Tandon
further
tweeted,
“It
is
unfortunate
that
people
involved
in
the
deal
chose
to
leak
the
information
to
the
press
before
even
before
the
release
clause
was
triggered.
Members
of
our
squad
and
staff
had
to
find
out
about
these
developments
through
twitter
and
the
media.

“Poaching
our
coaches,
staff
and
players
is
fair
game
but
I
hope
better
sense
and
sportsmanship
prevails
in
the
future.
We
would
have
at
least
liked
the
opportunity
to
inform
our
squad
ourselves.
To
our
fans,
I’d
like
say,
‘Do
not
worry’.
This
will
in
fact
make
us
stronger,”
Tandon
added,
making
his
displeasure
clearly
known.

FC
Goa
next
take
on
Odisha
FC
at
the
Tilak
Maidan
Stadium
in
Vasco
on
Friday
(December
24)
on
the
Christmas
eve.