“I did not expect this kind of atmosphere in India,” says FC Goa foreigner Iker Guarretxona as he is hopeful of his team’s improvement

FC Goa have added several new players to their lineup this season. They have added some very good foreign players and one such player in Iker Guarrotxena who was amazed by the support and craze for football in India and especially in Goa. The Spaniard was the main man for Carlos Pena as the Gaurs started the season with a bang.

His creativity between the lines and his ability to sense danger makes him a very prolific player in the league this season. Although the Gaurs have been struggling in the last few matches, Guarrotxena has been crucial for the team.

While he scored in the 4-1 defeat against Mumbai City FC, it remained only as a mere consolation and he was not happy with the defeat. He shared how the Gaurs were nowhere close to themselves. “We can’t be happy because we weren’t ourselves. We put in the work during the week. We had good energy before the game against Mumbai City FC and we expected more. But sometimes it happens, we need to learn fast and you will see a big change before the next game,” Guarrotxena shared in an exclusive interview with the ISL.

The 29-year-old assures that the team should learn from their recent mistakes and come back strong in the upcoming games. “There are a lot of things to analyse. Now is not the moment to complain. It’s time to put these feelings aside (after a defeat). This defeat hurt us a lot. We need to learn, improve, and ensure those mistakes don’t happen again,” the Spaniard added.

This is Guarrotxena’s first year in India and in ISL and when he came to the country first he never in his wildest dreams thought that the atmosphere in the ISL in general will be this great. He never thought Goan people would be so passionate about the sport. So it was a new learning experience for him.

Speaking about the passion, the supporters and the atmosphere in the stadiums, he said, “It’s unbelievable. Honestly, I didn’t expect this kind of atmosphere here in India. I am so happy and excited to play the next game already as we have a beautiful atmosphere at home. This is an amazing group and we can change our situation.”

Lastly when asked about his performance this season for FC Goa, Guarrotxena shared how it is not about himself and rather it is more about the team. The Gaurs need to improve their situation in the upcoming games.

“I’m not just thinking about myself, but we need to change this situation as quickly as possible. It’s not time to focus on oneself. We have to be humble and work hard as a team, because as a team we can change this,” he signed off.