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Statement by departing Hyderabad FC head coach Albert Roca

Hyderabad FC

Albert Roca has issued a statement after his decision to part ways with Indian Super League side Hyderabad FC to join the first team coaching staff of LaLiga giants FC BarcelonaHyderabad FC to join the first team coaching staff of LaLiga giants FC Barcelona.

In January 2020, the Spaniard had signed a two-year contract with Hyderabad FC to become their head coach from the 2020/21 season onwards with the aim to build a strong team for the forthcoming season.

Statement by Albert Roca

Dear Everyone,

As I sit down to write this letter, there are a lot of emotions running through my mind. The last few days have been tough and challenging, because of the events that unfolded, most of which you will have read about through various reports already.

I joined Hyderabad FC back in January because it was one of the most exciting projects that I came across in recent times. It was a new club, and essentially a blank canvas since the management wanted to build a new and strong structure. Given the rich footballing history in the city and the strong plans of the club, it was something that attracted me quickly and we began working towards laying the foundation of our plans.

Over the last few months, all of us have worked tirelessly building on that foundation as the coaches, technical staff, and management all drove towards a unified goal. The club has retained the core of the team and signed a few of the top players from the league. Moreover, with the focus on developing players, HFC will have a unique blend of experienced and young players on the pitch.

This brings me to the offer that I was recently presented with – working with the main team of FC Barcelona. I certainly did not expect the situation to change so quickly and I was as surprised as everyone.

The city of Barcelona has been my home for a long time now, and previously working with FC Barcelona was one of the best moments of my career in football. We made countless memories and had amazing experiences during that time, and since FC Barcelona has been my boyhood club, this opportunity was something I couldn’t ignore.

While someone else would’ve blindly accepted the offer, I had to consider a lot. I had committed to building a new club at Hyderabad, and the players, management, and more importantly the fans had a lot of expectations from me. I understood how tough it would make it for the club with the preseason set to begin soon.

A coach’s departure always has some impact on the team. However, given what we have done so far at HFC, I strongly believe that the new coach will be able to settle into the job without much trouble and will be able to continue the good work the club intends to do. Hyderabad FC has a set of really hard-working people, who want the club to be a strong contender going forward and that is something the fans should back them with.

For me personally, it’s been a tough decision to make, but after long conversations with everyone involved, we have decided to mutually part ways. I am thankful to everyone at HFC for showing immense faith in me since I joined back in January. I am aware that all our fans will be disheartened but believe me, it’s not an easy goodbye for me either. I wish them the very best for the upcoming season and the future and I am extremely positive that Hyderabad FC will be one of the top sides this season.

– Albert Roca