Borja, Iker set to stay with FC Goa for another year
Panaji:
FC Goa
have started building their squad for next season with Borja Herrera and Iker Guarrotxena among the two foreign players the club is set to retain.
Borja and Guarrotxena were out of contracts at the end of last season.
The two Spanish players impressed the club with their performances all through the season and have now been rewarded with contract extensions.
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'Goa have agreed deals with both Borja and Iker,' a source told TOI on Tuesday. 'There was some hesitancy due to the prevalent situation in Indian football, but regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the
Indian Super League
(ISL), these two players were always going to be a part of the squad. They know the club, the league and the conditions in India.
It wasn't a difficult decision.'
Borja and Guarrotxena were important members of Manolo Marquez's squad last season. Besides striker Armando Sadiku in the early stages of the league, the coach relied heavily on the two players to get the goals, both in the ISL and Super Cup, which Goa won to qualify for continental championships for the first time since 2020.
Borja had six goals and four assists in the ISL last season with his hat-trick against his former club, East Bengal, the highlight.
He started in 16 of the 22 games that he featured in the league.
The Spanish midfielder's big goal contribution though came in the Super Cup when his brilliant brace slayed
Jamshedpur FC
in the final. Borja also had a significant role to play in Goa's Bandodkar Memorial Trophy triumph earlier in the season.
Nursing a long-term injury, Guarrotxena missed the early part of the season but his importance to Goa cannot be understated. Just like Borja, he had 10-goal contributions in the ISL, scoring seven.
The Spaniard – now into his second stint at the club – made 21 appearances overall and accumulated 1,411 minutes of playing time.
This season's ISL was expected to kick off on Sept 14, as per the calendar approved by the AIFF League Committee last month. However, there is now growing suspense over the future of the league after several club owners were told by FSDL that the league will not kick off, unless there's clarity on the Master Rights Agreement (MRA).
FSDL, a joint venture between Reliance and Star which runs the league, are commercial partners of AIFF, with whom they signed a 15-year MRA in 2010. The agreement ends in December this year.
Several meetings have been held between FSDL and AIFF over renewal of the agreement. Rather than an all-cash deal that gave the marketing partners rights to all federation properties, they have now suggested formation of a new holding company that governs, operates, commercialises and funds ISL, with clubs (60%, equal across all clubs), FSDL (26%) and AIFF (14%) as the shareholders.
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Animesh's success, rather the progression, is part of a broader transformation in Indian athletics. 'The media around Animesh has been really good. It's been really positive," Owens notes. 'My sport tends to get a lot of negative press around performance-enhancing drugs, things like that. It's really nice to hear positive press about young people who are trying to do their best." The Road Ahead top videos View all As Animesh prepares for the World Championships and looks toward the 2026 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, the road to success is clear: individual brilliance aided by systematic excellence. His partnership with Martin Owens has created a template for developing world-class athletes in India. For Animesh, the focus is simple: 'I always expect to do my best in every competition. I want to do my best in every competition." It's a simple philosophy that has already carried him to great heights in Indian athletics. About the Author Vineet Ramakrishnan Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor - Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Animesh Kujur Indian Athletics Martin Owens view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 13, 2025, 14:59 IST News sports 'That's The Art Of Sprinting': How Animesh Kujur Mastered India's Fast Lane Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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News18
31 minutes ago
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LSG To Part Ways With Zaheer Khan, Fill 2 New Positions: Report
Last Updated: Lucknow Super Giants will part ways with mentor Zaheer Khan after his contract ends. Bharat Arun joins as the new bowling coach. LSG plans to appoint a new mentor. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to part ways with mentor Zaheer Khan after the expiry of his one-year-long contract assigned last month. According to a report in The Times of India, LSG will sign a new mentor and will give them a 'bigger role' encompassing their sister franchises in other competitions — Durban's Super Giants in the South Africa 20 (SA20) and the Manchester Originals in The Hundred. The report added that LSG will also announce a Director of Cricket to oversee the 'year-round development' of the entire LSG group. Zaheer had replaced Gautam Gambhir in the mentor role after the latter moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023. The former India seamer was also doubling up as the bowling coach since Morne Morkel's exit, who left his role to work alongside Gambhir and the Indian men's cricket team in 2024. Recently, LSG announced Bharat Arun, the former India and KKR bowling coach, in the same role here. 'Arun's role is also extensive as he will be given an extra responsibility for scouting and working on their young quicks for Durban's Super Giants and, from next year, with the Manchester Originals as well," the source in the report added. LSG had an underwhelming season, finishing seventh with six wins from 14 games. Bharat Arun's mission In a statement, Bharat Arun, who'd join the coaching staff led by Justin Langer, had said his aim was to help shape LSG into a 'cohesive and tactically sharp' unit. 'It's an honour to join the Lucknow Super Giants, a franchise that reflects professionalism, ambition, and vision at every level," Arun said. 'My conversations with Dr. Sanjiv Goenka and the management were incredibly energizing — there is a clear intent to invest in young Indian talent and build a long-term legacy. What excites me most is the vision for long-term development. LSG has invested in a young, talented, and dynamic group of Indian fast bowlers — Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Akash Singh — and I see immense potential in each of them. My mission is to help shape them into a cohesive, fearless, and tactically sharp pace unit that can challenge the best batting line-ups in the world." Zaheer, who has previously worked with Mumbai Indians, could be in line for several coaching jobs that might open up in the league before the 2026 season. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
