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Salgaocar FC, one of the most legendary and successful clubs in Indian football, has decided to shut down its senior team operations after 67 years of glorious history. For the first time ever, the club, which was established in 1956 by eminent industrialist V M Salgaocar, has not submitted an application to play in the Goa Pro League, the top division of Goan football. Instead, the club will only focus on its U-13 and U-15 teams, as well as its Community Outreach Programme for U-10 children.
Along with the senior team, the U-20 and U-18 teams have also shut down, which points towards the fact that the cub will now focus primarily on grassroots development and work towards scouting new young talents. The club also produced some of the finest players in Indian football history, such as Menino Figueiredo, Brahmanand Shankwalkar, Bruno Coutinho, Climax Lawrence, and many more.
The closure of Salgaocar FC's senior team has left a huge void in the Goan and Indian football landscape, as the club has a rich legacy of achievements and talents. Salgaocar FC was the first Goan club to win the Federation Cup in 1988(defeated the BSF team 1-0) and the Durand Cup in 1999(defeated East Bengal FC in a thrilling final which went down to penalties), as well as the National Football League in 1999-2000.
Salgaocar FC's decision to pull out of the senior team operations follows the footsteps of other Goan clubs like Dempo SC, Sporting Clube de Goa, and Churchill Brothers, who have also withdrawn from the I-League in recent years due to the AIFF's roadmap that made the Indian Super League the top-tier competition. The demise of Salgaocar FC's senior team is a huge blow to the Goan football culture and identity, which has been one of the pillars of Indian football for decades.
