Ahead of the clash against the Qatari club, Al-Rayyan in the reverse fixture of AFC Champions League, FC Goa’s striker Jorge Ortiz addressed the media alongside head-coach Juan Ferrando.
FC Goa lost two consecutive games, both against Persepolis FC. On the other hand, Al-Rayyan is at the bottom of the group table.
“I think the game will be tough as the first one or maybe even harder. They are a team full of quality players. But, we will try to do our best, as we have always done. We intend to play to the best of our abilities,” said the 29-year old Ortiz.
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Jorge Ortiz, signed for FC Goa last year as a free agent. Earlier, he represented many Spanish clubs such as Albacete B, Atletico Madrid B, Cultural Leonesa, Athletico Beleares and more. Due to his sensational performance in the ISL season, the Gaurs head coach Juan Ferrando preferred him to chose for AFC Champions League. Ortiz plays in multiple positions as an attacking midfielder, winger, and striker too.
“It’s very true that the level of AFC Champions League is similar to what we are more accustomed to in Europe. We have seen that the intensity of games is higher and it’s good not for only us but also all the Indian players. It will help them to understand what the levels are,” said Jorge Ortiz sharing his experience of playing in the competition.
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FC Goa is playing their fourth match tomorrow in thirteen days. Compared to ISL the AFC Champions League schedule has been a little tighter as all the matches are held at a centralized venue due to the ongoing pandemic situation. The Spaniard spoke about how he’s maintaining his fitness level for this tough competition.
“One big difference on the pitch is the time and space on the ball. In ISL, a lot of teams stick to one strategy throughout the entire game. So, you can continue to do constantly a thing over and over again. In the Champions League, teams adept a lot quicker and they analyze your lot more deeply. So, once you do something on the pitch you don’t get a chance to do that again,” concluded Jorge Ortiz.
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