Sporting Clube Leave Grass root Spine With Portuguese
Gabriel Pinto

Sporting Clube de Goa's Portuguese Coach Gabriel Pinto  nurturing Goan youngsters

Sporting Clube de Goa has hired the services of Portuguese football coach Gabriel Pinto to draw and implement a methodology for their grass root development programme.  Gabriel Pinto who has had stints as coach with teams in the Portuguese League, feels the rewards are more when laying emphasis on youngsters enamoured with the ball.

Gabriel is going to have forty under 10 boys – a majority of them from Don Bosco High School, Panaji – in his first batch as he prepares to understand the social and educational structure in Goa as he embarks on Sporting’s mission of harnessing talent within the local settings.

“ I am not here to ape the systems of the west or Portugal. Every country has its own set ups. Football is a common game but the structures of play are different. I am here to first study the systems in Goa and draw a methodology that will suit the Goan boy and girl. This does not happen overnight but, a start is a must and I am happy Sporting Clube de Goa has given me this opportunity,” Gabriel told The Goan .

“ Sporting has a number of good coaches  all over Goa looking after the various teams it has under its umbrella. I am going around seeing what is happening and am really impressed at the way young talent is being scouted and trained. The non-residential academy that is being started will surely produce a lot of good players. I am impressed by the talent in Goa,” added Gabriel.

Sporting Clube has under-14,under-16,under-18 and under-20 teams in Goa Football Association’s (GFA) leagues. It also has an under-15 and under-19 team in the I league . Four schools – sacred Heart , Anjuna; Pope John XXIII in Quepem; St Alex High School , Curtorim and Government High School , Cuncolim are the other schools adopted by the clube  under its youth development programme.

“Gabriel is going to give us the methodology for grass root training. He will set the programme for us and oversee it’s implementation. He is not here to cut , copy and paste,” stated Sporting CEO Victor Fernandes.