FC Goa coach Zico: 'Pires said he was punched in the face by Atletico de Kolkata coach'
Q. Goa started really well. But in the end it went out of hand. Is the result disappointing for everyone?
A. There is no fair result. The opportunities that we had to score the goal, we missed those and wasted it. We had many clear opportunities. The opposing team is very good and they took advantage of all the opportunities and they scored. Football is like that. When we have the chance, we must take it. Sometime we are the best in the game and other times we are not. The goals that were scored by them were really good.
The other thing that happened which is more serious is that one of our players said that he was beaten by the coach of the other team. Pires said he was punched on the face by the Atletico coach and it is very shameful. I am telling you what my players told me and I didn’t see that myself but I don’t think that Pires will lie and say something that didn’t happen. And when the team entered the field in the second half, they were very nervous and during the half time we were only trying to control their nerves and calm them down.
Q. Did you have any idea that the match will become so difficult? The way Gregory and Fikru were behaving on the pitch looked like they were in an American football.
A. Well FC Goa came to play football. In the last three games, no players got expelled we had got only two yellow cards. So my team goes to play football on the field. Maybe the other teams come on the field to play American football. But what happened today was very regretful.
Q. Do you think that Atletico coach Habas deserved a marching order from referee?
A. I don’t know if the referee saw it but it will be reported. We will be submitting a written complaint.
Q. Cavin Lobo scored a brilliant goal. What do you have to say about his last goal?
A. It was our mistake in marking and it was a rebound. We knew that it would happen and we had to pay attention at that moment.