FC Goa head coach Zico was cheerful as he greeted the media at a pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s encounter with FC Pune City and seemed confident in their ability to come away with a win on the weekend. But he is taking it one step at a time.“We have to think step by step every day. We have five games to go but we are focusing hard on the game tomorrow,” the Brazilian legend said.When asked why his team practiced elsewhere and did not train at the venue as it the usual practice on pre-match day, the former Seleçao midfielder said that his team is acclimatised to the conditions at Fatorda and did not want to be bothered by people during the training session. “We wanted more time to practice and did not want any disturbances. We could work in a calmer environment and get the job done better there,” he saidReplying to a question about injuries in the squad, Zico admitted that there are a few players with niggles but refused to reveal their names. “I can’t tell you who is injured. An hour and a half before the game, you will receive the team sheet,” he added. Proceeding to talk about the opposition, the Brazilian noted, “Every game is a different story. There’s a different way of playing, a different philosophy for each game. If we have to win this match tomorrow, we have to change accordingly.”Zico expressed confidence in the new coaching staff who have just joined the squad. “I would have liked to have had them since the beginning. They are people whom I trust. I asked the president if I could bring them in since I have worked together with them in Brazil and he agreed. The new staff consists of a physical trainer and two assistant coaches,” Zico revealed. “In all the other teams, the coaches brought their own staff. I was the only one who didn’t bring any of my staff. Now I have my staff.”Midfielder Bruno Pinheiro, who was also present at the press conference, shared his coach’s positivity regarding the match. “I don’t think there’s any extra pressure on us. A win will still give us only three points. The next three games at home are naturally going to be very important for us. We’re fortunate to have three games in a row at home. Most importantly, we’ve worked very hard this week with the new coaching staff and I think that we’re ready for these games. Mentally, we have to be very strong because it will be three battles that we must fight and we have to give everything to win,” he averred.Commenting on the rash of injuries to players during the tournament, the Portuguese player observed, “For the international players especially, the weather was an obstacle at first. But we’re professionals. The weather was bad for players of every team so we cannot use that as an excuse. But yes, I think it is normal to have injuries with match schedules being so tight but the squads are large and there are many options. If one player cannot play, we have others who can come in and replace him aptly. Hence, I think everyone should be ready to jump into action any time. It’s a good platform to showcase skill.”
