By IANS
Panjim : I-League champions Dempo Sports Club Sunday returned home to a rousing welcome, but coach Armando Colaco reminded his players the job for the season was far from over.
“They can party hard today and assemble tomorrow at the airport for another challenge,” Armando told IANS at the Goa international airport.
Dempo Sports Club will leave Monday for Gurgaon, Haryana, where they will tackle East Bengal in the Super Cup Wednesday.
The Super Cup – with a prize money of Rs.1 million – is a one-off contest between the I-League champions and winner of the Federation Cup.
“The I-League was our top priority, but the Super Cup is one honour that is missing,” disclosed the Dempo coach-cum-secretary.
Dempo have played the Super Cup twice, without any success and losing to Sporting Clube de Goa (2005) and Mohun Bagan (2007).
“Players tend to switch off after winning the league. There is hardly any motivation after winning the biggest prize in Indian football. But, we need to play like champions in the Super Cup,” Colaco said.
Hundreds of Dempo supporters and Goa Football Association officials showed up at the Goa International airport wearing Dempo’s famous blue jerseys.
The champion side then proceeded to their headquarters in Panjim in a 30-km rally that was punctuated by stops at every second kilometre.