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FC Goa's new boss Carlos Pena played a crucial role in Iker Guarrotxena joining the Gaurs ahead of the upcoming season, the Spanish winger revealed on Friday (July 15).
In a digital round table, the 29-year-old talked about how Pena spoke directly to him about the Gaurs' playing style and approach going into the Indian Super League season.
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When asked about Carlos Pena's influence on Guarrotxena selecting Fatorda Stadium as his next destination, the Spaniard replied:
"Yes, it was important. When a coach speaks directly, it's different. Most times, it's just the sporting director who calls you and tells you that the club wants you. But in this situation, Carlos spoke directly with me about the city, the style of play, and the ambition of the club. It convinced me."
After receiving a call from Ravi Puskar, the head of football operations at FC Goa, Iker Guarrotxena went on to ask his former teammates who had played in the ISL about FC Goa. The responses were positive and hence, the Spaniard never had any doubts regarding the decision. The former Cultural Leonesa forward explained:
"I asked a few players who were my teammates and had played in the ISL. Everybody had good things to say about Goa and the Indian Super League. It's a league that's growing a lot. When I got the first call from Ravi, I started checking about the league, the club, and the players. So I didn't have any big doubts while deciding."
Although the Gaurs are yet to win the ISL title, they have generally been among the heavyweights in the league, winning the league winners' shield in the 2019-20 season.
FC Goa plays a distinct style of football and have been a pioneer in introducing possession-based attacking football to the country. Guarrotxena opined that these factors, mingled with their ambition, made him opt for FC Goa. He said:
"I think it's an ambitious team that is growing along with the league. This is a good motivation for me to play for a team who will be fighting for the first position and titles."
Athletic Bilbao is like a School of Life: Iker Guarrotxena on his days with the Basque giants
Throughout the entirety of the digital interaction on Thursday, Iker kept stating that he was a 'team man first'. Asked if he was expecting to consistently feature in FC Goa's starting lineup, the Spaniard underlined that his priority would be what was beneficial to the team.
These are values you don't imbibe overnight. Guarrotxena, who was born in the Basque region of Spain, joined Athletic Bilbao at a very young age. Bilbao has always been regarded as one of the most wholistic clubs across the globe.
The winger attributes his virtues and qualities as a person to the time spent with the Basque giants. He opined:
"I started at Bilbao when I was nine years old and was there till the age of 20 or 21. Firstly, it's not just about football, but it's like a 'School of Life'. Because the club tries to teach good values to the kids. Then these values start showing on the field themselves. Maybe that's why I always keep these values with me."
Head coach Carlos Pena and FC Goa will be hoping that these qualities that Iker possesses can translate on the pitch in the upcoming season of the ISL.
