Odisha FC head coach Kiko Ramirez and defender Sahil Panwar addressed the media ahead of their game against ATK Mohun Bagan on Saturday at the Fatorda Stadium from 7:30 PM.
Coach Kiko Ramirez spoke about why club captain Vinit Rai suddenly decided to leave the club and join Mumbai City FC.
“As a coach, I have to find the best option for the team and try to work with the rest of the players that are in the club and try to take the best for them. Vinit wanted to leave the club, and it was his decision, and the club had their opinion about it, but it was a bit difficult for the team to know about his sudden departure from the club.“
Ramirez feels they will face a strong opponent in their next match against ATK Mohun Bagan.
“They are one of the biggest teams in India and the ISL. So after their draw in the last game, they will be hungry for winning the match against us.”
This season the league is very competitive, with 4 points separating the 7th place team and table toppers. Kiko gave his verdict on what they should do to confirm their spot for the playoffs.
“That, of course, is a good thing that a lot of teams have chances to be in the top four. Also, we have to understand that the competition format with a match every three four-five days makes this tough for every team, but it is good for the competition. The important thing is that we have to keep in mind how we finish at the end of the season, and now it’s a vital moment of the season.“
Kiko spoke about the mood in the Odisha camp after a valiant performance against Mumbai City.
“We are really happy that after a strong defeat against Hyderabad the team has achieved a really big result against a big team, but it means that the team can compete any other team in in the competition so it’s it’s good for a situation for the for the team and get confidence to the players.”
Ramirez highlighted the philosophy of the club and the reason behind signing full-back Nikhil Prabhu on loan from Hyderabad FC.
“As everyone knows, it is the ambition of the team, and we are really committed to building a good academy and developing young players for the future, and the example is saying in Prabhu that the coach is really happy with his performance and he had up really well today with the team. So we can have a role in the future with good players that we can build from their young ages.”
Sahil Panwar who joined Odisha FC earlier this season spoke about his experience so far at the club.
“It’s going really well. I didn’t start the season well; when it started, I was injured, but now I’m fit, and I’m giving my 100 per cent when I’m playing on the pitch. I’m very happy to be here because this is my first season, and I will give my all to the team. We have a match against ATK Mohun Bagan tomorrow, and I hope we will do well, and we’ll win this match.”
He gave a hint about how the Juggernauts might approach the game in nullifying the threats of the Mariners’ attacking power.
“We have a plan which we are going to work on tomorrow. We have good experienced players like Hector, Victor who are playing at centre-back and also good Indian full-backs, so we’ll see, and we’ll work very hard to stop them.”
Sahil was asked about his personal and collective aim for the season. Below is his answer,
“Yes, I want to achieve something with Odisha FC at the end of the season because the last season of Odisha FC was not well. So now we have a very good team with young Indian players and experienced foreign players, and I hope we will do well this season. Talking about my personal goal for the season, I want to play more matches and want to be regular in the starting lineup.“
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