FC Goa midfield maestro delighted with Carlos Pena’s appointment as the new head coach

Over the years, it has been a mixed bag journey for Brandon Fernandes as he has seen the highs from winning the Indian Super League winner’s shield to missing out on the playoffs. He has faced different situations with FC Goa over the years and has developed into one of the most creative players in the country.

Brandon has become an asset for FC Goa and also for the Indian national team. However, he had a very underwhelming season mostly marred with injuries as he only made seven appearances in the last season. Hence the Gaurs missed him badly as they finished ninth in the points table.

FC Goa’s ninth-place finish was very different from what was expected by the fans and experts as they felt the Gaurs to be one of the title favourites, especially after the Durand Cup win. But a lot has changed recently as former player Carlos Pena has been appointed as the new FC Goa head coach.

Brandon shared how happy he was hearing the appointment of Pena. Having played with him for two seasons, Brandon believes that the Spaniard will take the club back to success. “I’m very happy to have Carlos (Pena) back at FC Goa. We, as a team, benefited a lot from his performances and leadership abilities in the two seasons that he was here as a player,” Brandon shared.

He adds how the Spanish defender’s influence was important in the club’s ISL Shield win and also in their Super Cup triumph and feels that Pena’s return will affect the club’s future. “His presence was extremely important for us as we lifted the ISL League Winners’ Shield and the Super Cup. As we look to get back to our winning ways, his return is going to be an added boost for the team,” the India international added.

However, Brandon has not forgotten the struggles of the 2021-22 season. “Very few things went well for us,” the 27-year-old reminisced.

FC Goa faced a lot of problems starting from their former head coach Juan Ferrando’s release clause getting activated and him joining ATK Mohun Bagan mid-season. There were several COVID-19 cases in their bio bubble that increased a lot of problems and then there were injuries to important players including Brandon Fernandes that hindered the club’s progress last season.