Interim coach Clifford Miranda
Twitter/ Indian Super League
After Spanish manager Juan Ferrando Fenoll left FC Goa mid-season to join ATK Mohyn Bagan FC, the 2019-20 league topper is set to name Clifford Miranda as the interim manager till the club decides the next candidate.
Speaking on Ferrando’s departure, FC Goa's Director of Football, Ravi Puskur said, “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,” Puskur added.
FC Goa have had a disappointing run in the current Indian Super League season, having just secured two wins in six games. They currently sit at eighth position on the ISL league table. After much hype in pre-season as being one of the contenders for the title, FC Goa is already eight points behind league toppers Mumbai City FC.
Before what would turn out to be his last match with FC Goa, Ferrando showed his displeasure at FC Goa's recent results by saying "we cannot be satisfied after just two wins."
The 40-year old coach, in his first season with FC Goa in 2020-21, led the team to the semifinals of the Indian Super League. He was also in charge of the club during their maiden and historic continental campaign in the AFC Champions League,where they managed to get three points from six games. Under Ferrando, FC Goa also won the 2021 Durand Cup after defeating Mohammedan Sporting Club 1-0.
With Ferrando's departure, Clifford Miranda, one of the assistant coaches of FC Goa, will be appointed as the interim manager till they find a suitable candidate. According to TOI, the club’s technical director Derrick Pereira and Spanish coach Angel Viadero have been shortlisted to take over as the next coach.
As a player, Miranda had mostly played for Dempo, a club based in Panjim, in the National Football League and I-League. In his career, Miranda has won won five league titles (3-times I-League winner and 2-times National Football League winner) and four domestic cup honours (1 Durand Cup, 1 Federation Cup and 2 Indian Super Cup).
Ferrando is all set to join ATK Mohyn Bagan FC as their new coach after Antonio Lopez Habas, the longest-serving coach in ISL history, stepped down from the post after a string of bad results which has left the club at seventh position on the table.