Q. Indian Arrows have been a fantastic team for the last two seasons and how was your experience guiding such a team with enormous talent from the sidelines as their head coach?
Floyd Pinto : It was great since, I had in my mind that I have moved on from a youth to a more professional setup. This team was actually a project that was rejuvenated during the the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Coaching such a team who will be playing in an Indian Professional League where other top drawer teams of our country also take part was very challenging for us.
I had to work out my past experiences during the training sessions. In the first season, when I was the Assistant Coach of the team, the squad consisted quite a few players whom I have trained earlier also but due to lack something, we weren’t getting desired results. It is always a heartbreaking moment for a coach as well as for the team when we finish at the last position of a tournament.
The next season, when I got appointed as their Head coach, we all had a burning desire in ourselves that we have to do well. Our aim was to set as more points as possible on the the points table. After I took the charge of team, our first tournament was the COTIF Cup in Spain and this time, we were able to garner some good results which was likely going to be helpful for our I-League campaign.
This was one of the toughest team by mentality, whom I have coached. We considered our each game to be a final for us. And, our last game against Mohun Bagan at the Saltlake stadium was actually a flashback of our whole season. And then, when we defeated Kerala Blasters FC in the Hero Super Cup which was held in Goa, it was our ‘icing on the cake’. Afterall, it is the players who did the main part. They are the ones who execute the gameplan on the field. We coaches are only here to guide them.
Q. During your childhood days, who was your favourite player?
Floyd Pinto : That’s easy! It’s none other than Steven Gerrard. He was the reason, I started watching European football and became a fan of Liverpool FC. I also idolise him for the amount of hard-work and effort he used to put behind the game. Infact, I follow Rangers FC now to see how he is preparing the players for their campaign.
Q. Which was the brightest moment of your career?
Floyd Pinto : I cannot pinpoint a particular event. The best feeling for a coach is to win a tournament with his team. This was when, Kenkre Football Club were the declared the champions of Maharashtra in 2010. And also, they got qualified for the 2nd Division I-League. Then, the 2-1 win against Argentina and obviously, our win against Mohun bagan on the last day of I-League.