ISL 2021-22: FC Goa reveals their leadership group ahead of the new season

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit FC Goa has revealed their four captains ahead of the eighth edition of the league tournament. Edu Bedia will lead the side as skipper and will have support from the likes of Ivan Gonzalez, Brandon Fernandes, and Seriton Fernandes. Last year, the club managed to reach the playoffs but could not go farther than the semi-final after losing to Mumbai City FC on penalties.

However, their recent displays in prestigious tournaments like the AFC Champions League and the Durand Cup have impressed the fans. The Gaurs are making a lot of progress under head coach Juan Ferrando's leadership. The Spaniard is a brave coach with impressive tactical knowledge and man-management skills.

Most notably, they played two draws with Al Rayyan and one draw with Al Wahda, much stronger teams, in the Asian continental tournament. Later on, the Gaurs won the 2021 Durand Cup by defeating Mohammedan SC in the final by a solitary goal from skipper Edu Bedia in extra time.

Edu Bedia: leading by example

Edu Bedia was the captain of the team last season as well. He led the team in the AFC Champions League and the Durand Cup too. He scored the winner in the final of the latter to guide the team to lift the trophy as well. The forthcoming season will be the fifth campaign for Bedia in the ISL. By now, he has attained an incredible knowledge of Indian football and leads the team by example. He also became the first-ever goalscorer for an Indian football club by finding the back of the net in a 2-1 defeat to Persepolis FC in the AFC Champions League.

The support

In addition to Edu Bedia, central figures of the squad such as Ivan Gonzalez, Brandon Fernandes, and Seriton Fernandes are also named as captains. Gonzalez is a core figure in the defense of the team and will hope to achieve more success in his second season with the club. As for Brandon Fernandes and Seriton Fernandes, both of them are some of the best Indian players in their positions. The local representation in the team is led by these two who play crucial roles in both midfield and defense respectively.