The Salgaocar FC men's team along with coach Levino Anthony Pereira and others.
Photo Credits: The Goan
PANAJI
Once a powerhouse in Indian football, Salgaocar FC's senior men's and youth team made a quiet exit after it was learnt that the club had only registered the Under-13 and Under-15 teams for the State leagues.
The unofficial announcement invited a slew of reactions from ardent fans and the Goan football fraternity as no one expected a club of Salgaocar's stature to bow out of the senior tournaments.
Levino Anthony Pereira, who could potentially go down as the last man to coach the Green Brigade, was left devastated by the news. "At Salgaocar, we produced good players from the Third Division to the First Division and maintaining the Under-20s team is not easy. That is (the decision) eating myself a little, like what happened? What went wrong with the club?" questioned Pereira.
The decorated coach claimed that he learnt about the news from an outside source as there was no official word about it. "When they announced that the team was not registered, that is the time we came to know that something was wrong. It was a little bit shocking. My set was there at Salgaocar for so many years and I never expected that Salgaocar would close down the senior team," Pereira said.
The huge development not only took the State by surprise but many players were left in the dark. The Green Brigade is or was one of the only clubs in Goa that had between 20-30 players on its roster for each division, the highest in the State and with the Salgaocar youth and seniors out of the picture, many players will be left with an uncertain future.
"Till now, all the players are a bit shocked about the decision," said an insider. "We never thought Salgaocar would do anything like this. No one believed that they would shut down the senior team. Some players are a bit disappointed," the insider said.
With the club's decision catching the players off-guard, many of them have been left in a limbo concerning their futures. The insider also claimed that players were on contract despite another news publication saying otherwise.
"Some players are totally dependent on football. So for now, for some players, it will be a problem for the young guys that are there. Some have already signed for other clubs which means an understanding is there," the insider revealed.
Meanwhile, former Salgaocar coach Pereira has been working hard to help the players find new clubs. "Most of the players were under contract. Some of the players have found clubs and now some of them have to hunt for one. I'm trying my level best to put most of the players in some of the clubs. Almost 10-15 players have gone to other clubs. Only the junior players have to go. It will be difficult to get clubs but what to do? They have to try hard," said Pereira.
Meanwhile, Pereira himself is a wanted man in Goan football. The coach has been approached by two-three clubs for his services.
"At present, I don't know (about his future); my mind is a little disturbed. For so many years I was there with Salgaocar, my format was good over there and now to suddenly go to a new club, I have to work again. So let's see. I have not decided yet but in another week or two I will decide," said Pereira.
"For me as a coach, I really enjoyed my stay of over 11 years at SFC by coaching, being with the family. It was a really good experience to coach a big club. There was no interference from anybody during my time coaching. They had given me a free hand. We have produced good players and most of them have gone to the Indian Super League and I-League. That is a big achievement for the club and me," said Pereira, recalling his time at Salgaocar.
Pereira also remained optimistic about the Salgaocar FC's senior team's return in the future, stating that the owner could possibly change his mind and return in 2-3 years because he is a football lover.
