ISL 2016: FC Goa retain marquee player Lucio for third edition of Indian Super League

Panaji: World Cup and UEFA Champions League winning central defender Lucimar Ferreira da Silva has been re-signed by FC Goa as the marquee player for the third edition of the Indian Super League. [caption id=“attachment_2286898” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Lucio. Getty[/caption] Consistency was the key for head coach Zico, who decided to retain the spine of the team, which reached the finals of the second edition of the ISL. Popularly known as Lucio, he had won the treble (Seria A, UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia) in 2010 under present Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho after strong performances in the heart of the defence for Internazionale in Italy. He also played for Bayer Leverkusen and German giants Bayern Munich prior to joining Inter. Along with his strong showing for his club, Lucio was a mainstay in the Brazil national team with 105 appearances at the heart of the defence, scoring four goals in the process and helping Brazil to win the 2002 World Cup, having played every minute of the competition. He joined the ISL in 2015 when he signed for FC Goa to play under Zico. The coach had thrown the captain’s armband to Lucio, primarily due to his wealth of experience playing football in Europe and South America. Alongside Martinique powerhouse Gregory Arnolin, Lucio was one of the main reasons for FC Goa’s superb run to the finals of the ISL in 2015. His aerial prowess and ability to intercept were key attributes in making him one of the fittest marquee players of the second edition of the tournament. He regularly stopped opposition attacks in their tracks and started attacking moves of his own for his side. For the third edition of the ISL, Zico decided to keep faith in the 38-year-old player. Lucio will be looking to lead his team to the final once more in 2016 and go all the way this year in his second attempt at the title. “I am very happy to sign for FC Goa once again. We had a good tournament last year and I hope to make FC Goa champions this year. Consistency is the key for us and I am sure that we will do well once again this year under Zico’s leadership. It is important to train hard and put in 100 per cent effort on the field in order to get maximum results. I hope to make the fans of Goa proud this year,” he said.