Panaji: Javier Siverio and FC Goa have mutually parted ways, allowing the Spanish striker to move to Cyprus when the transfer window opens on Jan 1 next year.Siverio was a summer signing for Goa as coach Manolo Marquez reunited with a player he worked with at Las Palmas in Spain and Hyderabad FC, where they won the ISL Trophy in 2022.Siverio’s decision to part ways with the club stems from the uncertainty that has brought Indian football to a standstill. Without a commercial partner in place, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been unable to announce start of the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL).Siverio trained with Goa at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Friday but will not be part of the squad for the concluding AFC Champions League Two group-stage clash against FC Istiklol on Dec 24.“I am not surprised with Siverio’s decision,” Manolo told TOI at the end of the training session on Friday. “Everyone is a professional footballer and need to continue playing. It’s true that it will be difficult for Indian players to go abroad, but I think a lot more foreigners will leave India in the next few days.”Most players have played just three competitive games this season in the Super Cup, while Goa have been active in continental competition. Many teams have stopped first team operations.When Siverio landed in India during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, he was an exception to the foreign player rule. Most players arrive in India at the fag end of their careers, largely in their thirties, trying to cash in on a final pay-check. Siverio was just 23 when he took Manolo’s advice and followed in his footsteps to India.
