Rozario, a Bengaluru native, has committed to Aizawl until the end of the 2020-2021 season and is looking to build the team as one of the strongest in the country.
However, the league system is set to undergo a rejig and the Indian Super League (ISL) is expected to replace the I-League as the top division in India. Investment, coaching style, management of players and the vision would all change for clubs depending on the I-League’s placing on the Indian football tiers.
But Rozario is clear on his plans for Aizawl, hoping to make them a champion team like in 2016-2017.
“I think our pre-season will start in June. Apart from the Mizoram Premier League, I am also in touch with a couple of the other clubs to have a few pre-season friendlies. Let’s see what happens.”
Like Rozario, a couple of other I-League clubs and coaches are waiting for the All India Football Federation to take the final call with respect to the league structure.
Confident boost for Aizawl stars
Rozario took charge of Aizawl from Gift Raikhan on January 9 when the club was in the bottom pile with just 2 victories in 11 matches.
In the remaining nine games, Rozario inspired the club and its players to lift their game and led them to a seventh-place finish in the I-League.
Under Rozario, Aizawl secured four victories and drew thrice, against Real Kashmir, East Bengal and NEROCA, to end their campaign on a high.
Rozario has coached top teams in the country like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Shillong Lajong but the transformation he brought to the struggling Aizawl side is indeed commendable.
“When I took over Aizawl FC, what I saw was that the entire team lacked motivation. They kept losing matches and all of them felt like they are incapable of winning. That’s what I had to change first up,” Rozario said.
It reaped immediate results. The loss to Indian Arrows led to a dressing room shakedown but Aizawl were able to quickly recover and hold Real Kashmir to a goalless draw. They then scored 3 goals against Chennai City, losing 4-3 in a topsy turvy encounter before drawing with NEROCA in Imphal.
Rozario tasted victory first against defending champions Minerva Punjab and the team followed it up with impressive performances against Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
The victories over Gokulam Kerala in Kozhikode and Shillong Lajong and Churchill Brothers at home helped them to a respectable finish at the end of the season.
“Even the foreigners in the side were low when I first saw them,” Rozario added.
“It was the same with Richard Kassaga, the defender from Uganda who has extended his contract with Aizawl. Along with tweaking some of the tactics, these players needed motivation and I ensured they got enough.”
With the I-League concluding in March and the team boycotting the Super Cup, the 2-1 win over Churchill on March 9 was the last game of the season for Aizawl under Rozario. But the 58-year-old, who served as an assistant coach to Bob Houghton from 2006-08, will be back soon when Aizawl play in the Mizoram Premier League later this year.
Will he be able to bring back Aizawl’s glory days?
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