At the end of the season last year, many football pundits described the decision by Derrick Pereira of joining minnows Pune FC as a step downwards for the talented coach but 11 months later, the man who gave the soon to be disbanded Mahindra United their first NFL crown, not only has proved his critics wrong but also defined that he possesses one of the most innovative brains in Indian football.

In a chat with Toni Rodrigues, the former Salgaocar stalwart, who plunged into coaching with Vasco Sports Club, talks about the high ambitions of his club and the rumours of the ex-international leaving Pune FC for a Goan club.
Q: Not a soul would’ve dared to predict such a stunning position for Pune FC at the start, but it’s a reality. Does it surprise you?
DP: When I first went there the management told me about some players they had retained from their second division team. They had also made a couple of good signings in Subrata Paul and Edmar Figueira. We had a limited squad but I had a very strong feeling that this team had the talent to finish in the top five. The only necessary thing was that we had to work hard on our targets, and I knew from 30 years of my experience at this level that the team will fulfil those objectives and that’s what happened.
Q: You’ll need a win against Dempo to assure yourselves of the runners-up spot.
DP: It’s the only thing in our mind at the moment and nothing else. We’ve to win and I think we have an equal chance. We have performed really well against the big teams and of course, Dempo are the champions and without doubt the best team in the country. But we’ve done well for ourselves in Goa and we’ll play to win.
Q: The bosses definitely will be happy thus far. They seem to be very ambitious.
DP: When we met for the first time, I judged they were ambitious, they had fantastic plans. It’s long term planning, they want to establish themselves with the entire infrastructure in place and focussing on development. They understand and know football and that’s very important. The team also responded well and I am very happy for what we have achieved for ourselves.
Q: There are rumours of you quitting Pune FC to take charge of a top Goan Club.
DP: I don’t know how far it’s true. This is news for me; nobody from Goa has met me till now. But I can tell you, but I’ll not name, that a club from Kolkata had approached me but I’ve not
committed yet.
Q: That means you are ready for a switch down here?
DP: I am not in a hurry. I am a professional and know what’s the best option for me and what’s the best place for me. You just can’t simply go anywhere, there must be job satisfaction and it should be conducive and not discouraging. I have to think on these lines before I commit myself. So, I’ll need some time to think about it but at the moment I am very happy here.
Q: If we see your team’s performance, you were always in the hunt. Pune FC could’ve been a serious contender for the title.
DP: Our start was a little bit shoddy. We dropped far too many points at home and that’s where the equation went against us. We drew matches which we should’ve won comfortably and although we recovered to reach where we are, we lost the pace to challenge for the title. But overall, it has been a
very satisfying campaign for us.