Wednesday, 17th September, 2014
FC Goa head coach and Brazilian legend Zico wants to play his part in raising the standard of football in India.
The Brazilian arrived in India earlier this week to assume his responsibilities as the head coach of the Goa franchise for the inaugural season of the Indian Super League starting next month.
The 61-year-old is hoping that the ISL signals a new chapter in the history of India football and believes that the league has the potential to enhance the game’s popularity and standard in India.
“ISL is a big league. I sincerely hope that the quality of football will rise with the Indian Super League and it will benefit football as a whole”, Zico said in a press release.
“For success, we have to work very hard. I have done so in my country and will do the same in India. I will offer my experience and knowledge to better the sport of football in the country.”
relatedNewsStory
Zico sincerely believes in the potential of the game in India and bemoans the fact that for such a large country the standard of football is low. He believes Asian football is on the up and there is no reason why India should be left behind.
He added that that there is enough love for football among the general public for it to thrive and said that he is will try his level best to raise the standards of the game in the country if he gets the required help from the authorities and the government.
“Asian football is getting stronger. I am not here to be a mere passenger, I am here to be a part of the development of football in the country.
“India is a very large country but it is very unfortunate that the standard of football is not too high. I came to Kolkata in 2004 for the world cup preliminaries and saw stadia full of people enthusiastically cheering and enjoying the game.
“If there is so much love for the game then there should be something done to raise its standard. I hope that football scales greater heights with the help of the federation and the government.”
The ISL, which will be held from 12th October to 20th December, is the brainchild of the All India Football Federation and their commercial partner IMG Reliance.
Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.
