Interview with Shrinivas Dempo: “2012-13 was a season of mixed feelings”

Dempo owner and director Mr. Shrinivas Dempo

For the first time in 13 years, Dempo will have a new head coach as the five-time record Indian champions ended their association with the legendary Armando Colaco. The 59-year-old former Dempo player also served as the general secretary but now the club is set for a new era under Australian coach Arthur Papas.

In Papas, Dempo certainly have the best man to take them forward but the contribution of Armando towards the Panjim-based club will never be forgotten by their players, fans and the owner.

“It was a difficult decision for us. On one hand we had Armando’s contract expiring and on the other we had to plan for the future. We had to choose whatever was best suited in the given circumstances,” club owner and director Shrinivas Dempo told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.

Mr. Dempo also refuted claims that the controversy between Armando and former Arsenal and Tottenham man Rohan Ricketts, who was released by the club after falling out with Armando, had anything to do with the former India coach’s departure.

“Armando’s contract was coming to an end; hence I don’t think it has anything to do with Rohan Ricketts,” he clarified.

Dempo’s season overall was quite average but it started well as they were runners-up in the Federation Cup and were the early pace-setters in the I-League title race. But a poor second half of the season, which included a nine-game winless streak and five straight defeats, saw them eventually finish fifth, their lowest-ever position in the I-League and it was the first time they finished outside the top four since 2006.

“I think we started impressively in the I-League by losing just one out of our first ten matches. However, injuries to our key players in the middle of the season brought a stop to the momentum. It took some time for the replacements to adjust, but I think in the end we bounced off stirringly and played some wonderful football.

“Remember, it was not easy to play against league leaders Churchill Brothers after our five match losing streak, yet our team took the lead twice in the match which ended in a draw. Similarly, we went in front against East Bengal also after going a goal down (but it ended in a draw). Overall it was a season of mixed feelings,” Mr. Dempo opined.

One of those five straight defeats came against a Pailan Arrows side that was coached by Papas. The Australian got the best out of a young group of players and got them playing an attacking brand of football.

As a result, he deservingly earned a three-year contract at the Goan club and Mr. Dempo reiterated his positive feelings about the Australian.

“As I said, we are now looking at the future where we can contribute significantly towards player development. A change was needed and we thought Arthur Papas was the ideal replacement at our club. We have been following him through the entire last season and were impressed with the transformations he brought into the young Pailan Arrows side,” Mr. Dempo added.

End of an era at Dempo

There are suggestions that in the Papas era, Dempo will be going through a phase of transition as some senior players have left but Mr. Dempo gave a more concrete perspective.

“If you see our team for the upcoming season, almost 75% of the players have been retained hence we cannot say it is an entirely new team. Yes, there have been a few additions in the form of foreign and Indian players but the balance of youth and experience has been maintained. If we continue our hard work with determination, success too will follow,” he notified.

The Dempo boss, who is also the current president of GFA (Goa Football Association) and AIFF vice-president, doesn’t mind the new rule of allowing four foreigners to start in the I-League but also talked about the importance of bringing Indian players through, something which Dempo consistently did during Armando’s tenure.

“I think every team has the right to maintain its competitiveness, and if that translates into fielding an extra foreigner then we don’t mind doing it. But we would also like to improve our Indian players so that they can match their international counterparts.

“This is a process and it may take time, but we are committed to developing Goan and Indian footballers. In the past we have shown that as there used to be at least five-six players from Dempo in the Indian national squad,” he pointed out.

The five-time record Indian champions have a tie-up with Danish club FC Midtjylland

Mr. Dempo confirmed that land for the new academy and stadium has been acquired but the club are still awaiting government clearances. The owner of the most successful club in I-League history also gave a little insight on the benefits of their partnership with Danish outfit FC Midtjylland.

“We had successful coaching exchange programs with FC Midtjylland and had also sent some of our promising players to train at their academy. These activities were very useful and we hope of continuing them in the future,” he said.

The Dempo owner also remains optimistic about the talks between IPFCA (I-League Professional Football Clubs’ Association) and AIFF regarding the new changes in the I-League and Federation Cup format. The highly successful businessman acknowledges the difficulties of currently running an I-League club as there are no financial returns from Indian football but remains hopeful of a brighter future.