Continuity of team key to success: Hyderabad FC coach Marquez

Hyderabad: The newly-crowned Indian Super League champions Hyderabad Football Club’s coach Manolo Marquez felt that the key to success is to have continuity of the team and the players, coaches and support staff working towards the same goal helped them deliver the maiden trophy. Returning to the city two days after clinching maiden ISL trophy […]

Hyderabad: The newly-crowned Indian Super League champions Hyderabad Football Club’s coach Manolo Marquez felt that the key to success is to have continuity of the team and the players, coaches and support staff working towards the same goal helped them deliver the maiden trophy.

Returning to the city two days after clinching maiden ISL trophy defeating Kerala Blasters in the penalty shootout, the 53-year-old Spaniard Marquez said winning the title was very satisfying.

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“It is a great feeling. The important thing is, not too many clubs work like this. It is about continuity. First season was difficult and the second season, we played well but could not qualify after losing the final league match. But then you have to continue with the same players and keep the same team structure. We signed experienced players with a lot of quality and we had players who were in the bubble in the previous season. We have a lot of people working behind the scenes. If everyone goes in the same direction, the probability of success is more,” added Marquez who took charge of the team mid-way through the last season after coach Phil Brown departed.

The coach lamented that they could have won the League Shield as well if not for the Covid cases in the team. “When other teams in the league had cases, ISL cancelled their games. But when we had the cases, they didn’t do that. We lost against Jamshedpur and that cost us the League Shield.”

Meanwhile, the hero of the final goalkeeper Laxmikanth Kattimani, who saved three penalties, said he was under no pressure. “When I went for the first penalty, I could see the striker was under pressure. It is difficult for the player who comes to take penalties. I knew I could save one or two, but ended up saving three.”

Captain Joao Victor said that the presence of senior players in the team made his job easier. “Since last season, we have a lot of young players. This year they are not young anymore. There were many experienced players in the team and they helped the youngsters. Many players were playing the final for the first time so we didn’t do well in the first half. There was pressure. But the coach tried to keep us calm and that’s why we performed better in the second half.”

The golden boot winner Bartholomew Ogbeche credited his success to his teammates. “I owe a lot to my coach and teammates. The final was not about who scored the goal but about the team,” he said on not finding the back of the net in the summit clash. The Nigerian added that not thinking too much about the final kept him calm. “To soak in pressure, you don’t have to think about the final result. You have to live in the moment. It is one game and you have to play it for 90 minutes. Think about what you can do to win the game.”

 

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