FC Pune City have made their intentions for the next Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season clear by roping in the services of U-17 and U-20 FIFA World Cup-winning coach Marcos Paqueta as the head coach. The Brazilian brings with him a plethora of experience, having coached youth, national and club sides for close to 30 years.

After a decade of managing the youth teams of top Brazilian clubs, Paqueta tasted great success with the U-17 and U-20 national team of Brazil. He won three titles with each, that includes both the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup and FIFA U-20 World Cup. After his fruitful time with the Selecao, he shifted base to Middle-East managing some of the top clubs and tasting great success. He also managed the Saudi Arabia and Libya national team, where he catapulted the latter from 115 to 37 in the FIFA rankings.

The Stallions enjoyed a historic 2017-18 season under former head coach Ranko Popovic, as they reached the playoffs for the first time since the league’s inception. Pune displayed an aggressive brand of football through the season, ensuring they became one of the forces to be reckoned with in the league. With Paqueta taking over the reigns, a new philosophy is sure to be witnessed in the camp.

When asked what kind of football he prefers his squad to showcase and what sort of philosophy shall govern the team, the 59-year old stated, “I like to play aggressive games. I like to attack and score goals, but nowadays in football, you need to balance it out. If you attack, you need to defend as well. I like to stick to my philosophy, so it’s very important for me to know what style the team plays in. But I am hopeful that I can build a good relationship with the players and step by step get them attuned to my philosophy.”

Another aspect that influenced the Brazilian to join the Stallions were their reputation for giving young footballers a great platform, a system that he believes in. “The first thing that I was told was that the club has a good academy,” he shared. “The club believes in my philosophy of promoting young players and gives them a chance to play. I also believe that when you bring young players to the club, they play with all their heart and that is very very important.”

He further went on to say, “From my conversations with the club, I understand that FC Pune City have a reputation for giving young footballers a great platform, a system that I have thrived in. There is huge potential at the club and we will look to retain the core group of experienced players, as well as some of the most exciting young talents in the league. I am excited for this new journey in India with FC Pune City,”

From the club’s end, CEO Gaurav Modwel said, “Marcos Paqueta comes from a country where they live, eat and breathe football. In 30 years of managerial experience, he has won 22 trophies including the U-17 and U-20 World Championships with Brazil, which is a no mean feat. His ample experience in managing youth sides, national teams and clubs in Asia will help us build on the platform we managed to create from the last season. We welcome Marcos to the FC Pune City family.”