The players have voted Vinit Rai, Victor Mongil and Hector Rodas as Odisha FC’s three captains to rein the commands for the upcoming Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2021-22 season.

Head Coach Kiko Ramirez pointed out that the chosen three have a lot to bring to the table with their experience and unique leadership prowess that will help other teammates improve.

"Vinit is a player with a lot of experience in the Hero ISL. He is also respected by all the players. He can help us in bringing together all the players and ensure a good season. Victor is an example in the team, hardworking with a good attitude and with experience of winning the Hero ISL title. Hector is a natural leader and has a lot of experience in top leagues in Europe and can help the team and his teammates a lot," said Ramirez.

On how the players were elected as the captain, Assistant Coach Kino Garcia divulged the process that each member of the Odisha FC squad including the coaching staff had to put three names in the ballot box with at least one Indian name within it.

"Every player had to put three names in a paper and drop it into a box that I had kept. According to the rule, every player had to put at least one name of an Indian player along with the foreign players. The coaching staff also took part in the voting process," explained Garcia.

The three captains had their say after their appointment. Hector Rodas said, "It’s a pride and a responsibility for me. My teammates trust me and I am here to help them in any way I can. I will share my experience in football so that they continue to grow as players. My level of presence, commitment, demand and competence will be maximum. I am sure that together we will form a great family."

Victor Mongil stated, "I am very happy to be one of the captains of the team. I want to thank my teammates for giving me this responsibility to defend the values of the club and the squad both on the field and outside and lead by example. We have a very exciting year, with very ambitious goals and we will do everything possible to achieve it."

Lastly, Vinit Rai mentioned, "First of all I really want to thank all the boys who have voted for me and shown trust in me. I am so grateful to get chosen amongst the three captains. I am really happy and excited for the season. This is a new season with a new coach and new faces in the team. The most important thing is to work hard and put in the effort. If we work hard and put our 100% effort into every training and in every ISL game we will get our results and we will do whatever it takes to win the games because I strongly believe that the harder we work the luckier we get. I strongly believe that we will do something big and fight for the title this season. Our job is to work hard and rest with God’s blessings nothing is impossible."