“Words can’t express how much we have missed our fans in the last 2 seasons, says FC Goa midfielder Glan Martins on the fans returning to the stands

The two last seasons of the Indian Super League could not host the supporters of different clubs due to COVID-19 pandemic. After sometime things became really dull for the players aswell to play consecutive years in front of empty stands in Goa. But this season, things will change as the fans will comeback to the grounds and FC Goa midfielder Glan Martins is very excited to see the passionate Goan fans back on the ground.

Martins highlights how the players have missed the interaction with fans. The people in the stands in Goa are often hailed as the 12th man for the team. The fans in general are an integral part of the sport as they create the atmosphere which is very much required for the teams to build that momentum on the ground.

Martins has been playing in Goa for many years now. He has now stayed with FC Goa for two years but is yet to play in front of a packed Goan crowd. It is probably the only regret that he has had donning the orange of FC Goa.

“For a long time, playing for FC Goa had been one of my biggest dreams. When it finally became a reality in January 2021, I knew I had to make my opportunities count. It will be two years this coming January that I joined the club. And yet I am to play a single game in front of my own people, the mad crowd in Goa,” Martins wrote in a column for The Goan Everyday.

The Indian midfielder shared how he is excited that this season finally the fans will be back and he simply cannot wait to play with the fans cheering him on at the Fatorda Stadium. “It’s set to change finally this season and I can’t wait to get on to the field at Fatorda and finally live the dream. Words cannot simply express how we have all missed our 12th man over the last two seasons. I remember cheering for FC Goa at Fatorda, and I cannot wait to experience how it feels to be on its receiving end,” added Martins.

The 28-year-old combative midfielder has featured 28 times for the Gaurs and reached the semifinals in his first season. The second season was not as remarkable in terms of results as FC Goa finished ninth in the ISL.

But with changes in foreigners and the addition of a new head coach in Carlos Pena, the Gaurs are once again looking like a team ready to bounce back and make the most of their chances. Pena will be looking to take FC Goa where they belong and with the fans cheering on it will surely work as an added motivation for the players.