Indian Super League: Zico gives his two cents, but is anyone listening

FC Goa are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just one win and having lost four games.

GOA coach Zico vouched for more Indian players in the league. (Source: AP)

Goa FC coach Zico on Wednesday pitched for more Indian players in the Indian Super League and said if the franchise-based league has to prosper, the organisers must allow the best Indians to play.

The Brazilian great, who has played a key role with Japan’s J-League, said India must make better use of locals players in the ISL.

“When I was in Japan, the best players were playing in one league. Hence, it was easier to pick the best player from there. However, in India, with the existence of two leagues (ISL and I-League), the task becomes more difficult,” he said ahead of the crucial ISL clash against Delhi Dynamos.

The 61-year-old, however, said ISL has been a success, but added some of the more talented players in the country have given the franchise-based league a miss. Bengaluru FC, winner of the last edition of the I-League, have refused to take part in the ISL. Most of the players in the current Goa FC side are from Dempo.

“When you have three talented sides in Goa, you are ideally looking to pick the best players from them. However, in ISL, you have a scenario where most of the Indian players in FC Goa are from Dempo,” he explains.

FC Goa are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just one win and having lost four games. However, their coach exudes confidence of a turnaround. “We have been unlucky in this tournament so far. We had lost a few players to injuries. As a team, we have made mistakes at crucial junctures and have been unable to convert. I am confident the players will play well against Delhi.”

Turnaround is something Zico will be praying for during Thursday’s encounter. More so, because Dynamos are the only team Goa had defeated so far.

Del Piero’S FORM CARD

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The Dynamos, meanwhile, have their own set of worries. Among other things is Del Piero’s indifferent form. On Wednesday, however, he displayed no sign of nervousness ahead of his team’s crucial encounter against FC Goa at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Instead, he seemed nonchalant. The 40-year-old brushed off concerns of poor form with utmost ease. “How do you rate your performance in the ISL so far?” asks a journalist. “I am more concerned about my team’s performance. All I am concerned right now is about Dynamos winning tomorrow,” the former Juventus legend retorts.

The Italian is yet to score in ISL and the team management have used the marquee player sparingly. Placed seventh, with four draws, two losses and a solitary win, Del Piero’s poor form is not the only concern for the Dynamos.

They have been having issues in the frontline, and to top it up, their coach, Dutchman Harm Van Veldhoven has been suspended, and will not be available for the match against Goa.

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