FC Goan named Spanish midfielder Edu Bedia, the club’s longest-serving foreign player as the new club captain ahead of the seventh season of Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21). Lenny Rodrigues will serve as the vice-captain of the team. Bedia has captained the side before in the absence of the main skipper.
Gaurs will also compete in the AFC Champions League in addition to the Indian Super League, the Club will be led by a 4-man ‘leadership team’ which consists of Edu Bedia, Lenny Rodrigues, Seriton Fernandes and Ivan Gonzalez.
Speaking on being handed the armband, the Spaniard stated, “I am grateful to my teammates for trusting me. It is a great honour for me to lead the team. I have always felt at home at FC Goa and have been loved by the people here. I take great pride in wearing the shirt and representing the Club. Now I will have an even bigger responsibility on my shoulders. I am looking forward to taking on the responsibility.”
“I believe that in a team with so many new and young players, the captains play a fundamental role,” the Spaniard further added in regards to the leadership group.
Head Coach Juan Ferrando further explained the process and his impressions of Edu and the rest of the leadership group. The coach also elaborated on how the veterans and foreign players will play a role bigger than just getting points for the team.
“It was a process where every player was involved in, just like every other process here at the club. I wanted the players to decide the captain of the team, themselves. In the voting, they chose Edu as captain along with Lenny, Seriton and Iván,” expressed Ferrando.
“After a week of work, the players had time to talk and get to know each other. They were the ones to decide who they wanted to represent them both on the field and in other aspects of their day-to-day life,” he added.
“For me, it was important to have a leadership group and not only one player heading as captain. Several people sharing this responsibility allows them to share opinions and implement a final decision in the fairest way possible,” he said.
The Indian Super League is set to kick off on 20th November with FC Goa beginning their campaign on 22nd November with a clash against Bengaluru FC.
