Passion missing, players don’t want to work hard, lament former intl’s

Panaji: Former India defender Denzil Franco recalled not being paid his salary for more than a year, yet he never stopped training. He performed like there’s was a bonus on offer and even made it to the national team.
“My goal was to reach the highest level, money was never on my mind,” Denzil said during the GFDC Football Summit in Margao last week. “I was never a technically sound player. I had dedication and passion for the game. My hard work helped me achieve what I wanted.”
Denzil did achieve quite a lot. He played for the biggest clubs – Salgaocar, Sporting Clube, Churchill Bros, Mahindra –won all the big trophies and picked up international trophies like Nehru Cup and SAFF Championship.
When he retired, without any regret, Denzil realised that coaching wasn’t his cup of tea, so he invested his energy in starting a football school and took charge of his village team. Here, the difference in approach struck him.
“I would like to see more passion (from the modern generation). They just come, play, take the thousand rupees and go home. We tried to bring in professionalism in the third division, provided a new approach with even gym sessions, but nothing worked. Once the third division was over, players didn’t stay in touch (with the game).”
The lack of hunger in Goan footballers and the unwillingness to work hard was a common lament during the panel discussion on player perspectives at the Summit. Former India midfielder Lector Mascarenhas – who was the moderator – recalled how Brahmanand Shankhwalkar, now a Padma Shri awardee, trained on his own, even in the room.
“I was Brahmanand’s roommate and often saw him throwing a rubber ball on the wall and catching it. The drill helped him improve reflexes and become a better goalkeeper,” said Lector, former general secretary of the Goa Football Association.
Even Beevan D’Mello didn’t hold back.
“Hard work is always the key if you want to have a successful career. Besides, discipline can take you to a very high level. Football has changed. The level of hard work has also changed. (In the past), 80% were willing to work hard, the remaining 20% counted on their talent. Now, if I am honest, it’s exactly the opposite. Very few players want to really work hard,” said Beevan, a former international who made a name for himself scoring eye-catching goals.
In all fairness, along with the work ethic, salaries have plummeted as well. With Salgaocar FC, Dempo and Sporting Clube all pulling out of the I-League in 2016 in protest against the AIFF decision to make ISL the top-tier league, players get paid very little.
“Few who have worked hard have directly jumped from Goa to (cash-rich) ISL. We have to educate the youngsters. The next two-three years is a good opportunity for the youngsters,” said Beevan.
Also part of the panel was Keenan Almeida, former international and now coach at newly-launched Goa Professional League (GPL) club Clube de Salgaocar. He “disagreed to some extent” with Beevan that players were not putting in enough hard work.
“The passion is still there, I see it every morning on the ground (during training),” felt Keenan. “Out of 20 players, 15 are hungry and passionate. Maybe five are casual. Are we talking of the five, or focusing on the 15? There’s a proper pathway (now). Four five years ago, we had just two clubs from Goa at the top level. The opportunities were less. When the opportunities are less, maybe the motivation drops.
“Players should use the Goa Professional League as a platform to move higher. Look at it as an investment into yourself, showcase yourself, move up. Then money will follow you there.”
There’s a silver lining at national and state level. While Dempo are back in the I-League and Sporting are pushing hard to make it to the top again, the emergence of Geno SC and Clube de Salgaocar – both corporate teams who took direct entry into the GPL – has provided hope, and better opportunities for the players. Now it’s all in their hands.