FC Goa’s Edu Bedia downplays potential Mumbai City FC rivalry

Edu Bedia has been entrusted with the FC Goa captaincy for the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season by new coach Juan Ferrando. Thee Spaniard has been plying his trade with FC Goa for the last three years and is the only foreigner the club retained after parting ways with Sergio Lobera last year. 

“I have been with this team for a while and that experience was obviously there. My job as a captain is simple – to try and help the team as much as possible. I have been captain at clubs in Spain as well. There is obviously responsibility but no pressure.

“I’m there with the three other captains (Lenny Rodrigues, Seriton Fernandes and Ivan Gonzalez) who have been elected and help the team. It’s a collective responsibility of the team to help each and every individual in the team.”

In addition to the 31-year-old, Goa have signed Gonzalez, Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz, Alberto Noguera and James Donachie to replace Hugo Boumous, Ferran Corominas, Ahmed Jahouh, Carlos Pena and Mourtada Fall.

“The one thing that I can say from the training sessions we have had so far is that the foreigners that we have this year can give us that extra rhythm. Obviously, we have had strength in the team last year as well, but that extra rhythm can come in handy towards the fag end of the season in getting us to the final,” Bedia expressed.

After Sergio Lobera’s tenure ended towards the end of last season, the former Racing Santander player expects Goa to play the same attacking brand of football that have been known for under Lobera.

“We are working a lot on the tactical elements (under Ferrando) this year which is going to make us stronger than we were last season. I believe that we will continue to play the same style of football. I think this year, we will be a lot more organised. Nowadays in football, it’s not only about talent but the physical and tactical element wins you matches.

“Reflecting on the past seasons, some teams who worked better than us in terms of the tactical element had an upper hand over us and I think that is what we lacked to end up with a title,” he opined.

“If we work as hard as we have been doing in the pre-season, we will be a much harder opposition for the other teams,” he added.

And with regards to Mumbai City FC, who have roped in Lobera and a number of Goa’s former players (Jahouh, Boumous, Fall and Mandar Rao Dessai), Bedia opted to downplay the clash. 

“Sergio has allowed the players what they are good at and that allowed us to get good results. This year, we continue to have good players as well as more tactical nuances that will allow us to continue to be a team as strong as we have been if not better.

“I’ve been a professional football player for 13 years and throughout my time as a professional player I have faced many past team-mates of mine as well as many coaches. So as a game, it’s not that this (facing Mumbai City) will hold any more importance than the other ones. Yes, we will be facing our ex-coach and our team-mates but every game is as important as the other,” he concluded.