#TFGinterview: Happy to be back in Indian football through I-League; will fight till the last minute, says Mumbai FC coach Oscar Bruzon

SPANIARD OSCAR BRUZON has been appointed as the new head coach of Mumbai FC after they sacked Santosh Kashyap.

The team and the new coach hopes to revive Mumbai and get them out of the relegation zone. Four home matches left which are very crucial for the team to earn maximum points.

TFG caught up with Oscar after their friendly match against PIFA Colaba, talking about his approach, any new strategies to what new he has brought to the team.

The conversation began with what exactly attracted him to take up this offer,

"The management contacted me and the first thing they told me that if I felt Mumbai were having a good squad, well firstly I was following I-League from Spain so I know mostly say 30% of the squad. I have worked with some and others have been in the opponent teams. So I was very confident about it and well of course I didn't know the foreign players. But on the brighter side, I know Mumbai FC for a very long time."

He further added that he remembers Mumbai FC were the team that were difficult to beat during his tenure with Sporting de Goa (2012-14) and vice versa.

He also said that after having trained with the boys for some days now he is confident about the team.

"I am confident that the boys are going to fight in every game and try to target the 12 points that we'll be playing for."

The day Oscar arrived he was at his job, training with the boys, when asked what was the first thing he told the team, he said,

"The first day of practise was less talks and more work so there wasn't a lot interaction from my side in terms of verbal talks instead it was all translated on the pitch with tactical games. Before coming here, I was watching Mumbai FC, out of the 13 games, I've seen 7 of them closely. So I did identify certain tactical things and so I chose to convey it on the training ground instead of sitting with them in a room and showing their flaws on a board or long talks."

"I can see the change and improvement and the positive side to it is that the boys are understanding what is put to them. And our main focus at the moment is how to get those three points against Churchill, the rest we shall see when it comes."

To the question, has he been in such a situation before where he is come to a team that is fighting relegation, he replied,

"No, this is the first time that I've come to a team that has only four matches to play. When I came to coach Sporting, they had 8 games in hand and they were placed at the bottom. But in the second leg I was able to revert the situation. Here in Mumbai the situation is different with just four games in hand but my level of confidence is the same."

Earlier (April 30 2016) in an interview with TFG, Oscar had revealed that his methodologies suited best with the way I-League functions as it ponders more on the development part of the sport.

He still maintains that and is happy to be associated with Indian football once again through I-League.

"I'm the guy of young players, improvement, development, academy, progression and I identify all of these with I-League."

He shared his thoughts on the Goan teams (Sporting, Dempo and Salgaocar) pulling out of the top division league.

"It's absolutely bad. Firstly I'm in love with Goa, I have a lot of friends through the assignment I had in Goa and it's my second house. Secondly it was sad to see these teams pulling out together. Churchill is the only team but Goa is not the same without those three clubs. I don't know what direction this is heading to but regarding tradition, history it is bad because Goa is known as one of the footballing states in India so it isn't a good feeling not to see these teams competing at the highest level."

When asked his thoughts on the merger, he replied,

"Sometimes in life we waste a lot of decision thinking about things you cannot move/change, typical things. With my thoughts nothing is going to change. So I'm only going to focus on the task I've been given and that is get Mumbai out of the relegation zone. Sorry for not talking much about ISL but I didn't have a great experience. I am at present incredibly excited to be in the Indian football circuit through the I-League."

His message to the fans,

"I would love to tell them that we are targeting a maximum number of points but I cannot promise that because in football you cannot control things, anything is bound to happen but what I can promise is that commitment, hard work, we are going to arrive to the pitch, fight for this t-shirt and we are going to bleed till the last minute to defend this category and be back playing in the league, this I can promise."

Listen to the full conversation below:

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