ISL 2024-25: Manolo Marquez says FC Goa deserved to win against Bengaluru FC after elimination

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez said his team deserved to win against Bengaluru FC after getting knocked out of the ongoing Indian Super League 2024-25. The Gaurs suffered a 2-0 loss in the first leg of the semifinal while playing away.

In the second leg at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa, Marquez’s team won by 2-1 but lost on aggregate 3-2. After a goalless first half, home team’s Borja Herrera scored in the 49th minute. Subsequently, Armando Sadiku scored the second goal for the hosts in the 88th minute. 

However, Sunil Chhetri scored the winning goal for the Blues with a header in the 92nd minute to help his team advance to the final.

“Very tough, because I think that the team, at least from the bench, it was very tough. We deserve to win this game. We deserve to arrive in the final. We were much better than Bengaluru FC, even when Bengaluru FC were at home. But sometimes this is football and you have to accept it,” Marquez remarked during the post-match press conference.

The Spaniard said he was satisfied with the performance of the team despite not qualifying for the summit clash. The Gaurs had 62.8% possession and took 10 shots on target.

“I am very satisfied with the performance of the team. The players who started the game, the injury of Carl (McHugh), and then Borja (Herrera) played very well. He scored the goal. Then, Armando (Sadiku), he could only play 20 minutes physically, which is the maximum. Then he entered the pitch and scored also. And then finally, this unfortunate, unlucky action occurred: at a corner, after the clearance, with a possibility of counter-attack, we sent the ball back. These kinds of things, unfortunately, happen,” he explained.

The gaffer said the players were heartbroken in the dressing room and rued the mistake they made in the final minute of the game.

“In the dressing room, they are completely destroyed. If you enter the dressing room, it’s like ‘someone is dead’. But, finally, this is a game of mistakes. And finally, without mistakes, all games would finish 0-0.

“We made a mistake in the last minute. I think that, in this situation, when you play in the semi-final of the playoffs, it’s very difficult to play at the level that the team played today. In some moments, my feeling was that it was closer to the third goal for us than the goal of BFC,” he said.

Marquez gave his gratitude to FC Goa’s fans and urged them to keep supporting the club.

“I want to congratulate the players. I want to congratulate the fans. Today was fantastic. I think if this atmosphere is more usual, then we will achieve more. I think the future of FC Goa is in good hands,” he said as he concluded.