Goa's goal mine

As a 15-year old hopeful in Kolkata, Bhaichung Bhutia would get mesmerised by the looks of Bruno Coutinho. Bhutia was part of India’s under-16 national team at that time and whenever they got a chance to see the seniors train, he couldn’t take his eyes off Bruno.
“He had that majestic look. Those long curly hair and a right foot that could do magic. I idolised him and (IM) Vijayan,” Bhutia remembers.
In 1997, that adulation tuned into scorn.Bhutia was now the most-revered footballer in this part of the planet and his hat-trick for East Bengal against archrivals Mohun Bagan in the semifinal of the Federation Cup brought him unmatched fame. So when East Bengal were drawn to play Salgaocar Sports Club in the final three days later, everyone believed it was East Bengal’s right to be crowned champion.
The hundred thousand East Bengal fans who had gathered at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, though, were left in a state of shock as Bruno turned the match on its head with two wonder goals that remain etched in history.
“In front of 90,000 East Bengal fans, he tore us apart. I hated him for that,” says Bhutia, now counted among India’s greatest footballers.

Those goals remain the highlight of Bruno’s wonderful career. The Arjuna awardee never kept track of the goals he scored for club and country, but nobody can forget those thunderous long-distance strikes, the second of which scored three minutes into extra time was worth its weight in gold. Even now, he plays those goals on a laptop and enjoys along with his 15-year-old son Brandon, an aspiring footballer who is set for a move to Europe.
It’s not just his son. Whoever watched those goals fell in love with him instantly. That people in Kolkata still talk about Bruno, shows the kind of impact he made that evening. The Mecca of Indian football has never been kind to anyone who wasn’t a part of them, either with Mohun Bagan, East Bengal or Mohammedan Sporting, and Bruno after all turned down an offer of Rs 18 lakh a season that would have made him the highest paid footballer in the country in 1999.
Bruno was the kind of a footballer who you could easily fall in love with. His daring runs, powerful shots and expertise with the dead ball remained a treat to watch. Football made him the legend that he is, but it is not commonly known that hockey was his first love, athletics his forte and kho kho a pastime. He represented the state in all three sports at the Nationals much before Salvador Fernandes (Salu) taught him the art of shooting at Monte de Guirim.
“Football has given me everything. I’ve been fortunate to have been loved so much by the fans. But it’s also true that football is all that I’ve known. I cannot do without a ball at my feet,” says Bruno, who represented and captained the country between 1992 and 2001.
For all his talent, Bruno’s international growth was stunted. He captained India to gold medals at the SAF Games 1995 and SAFF Cup 1999, Uzbekistan coach Rustam Akramov famously said he could take India to the World Cup if he had “10 Brunos”, but successive coaches played him out of position. From a right-back to midfield and libero, he could slip into any role. His best for India came at the SAFF Cup in 1999 when he scored in the semifinal and final to lead India to glory at Fatorda.
“He is one of the forgotten players in Indian football. He often played so deep and was very supportive for us strikers,” says Vijayan, who along with Bhutia and Bruno formed the holy trinity of Indian football in the nineties.
Even now, as he turns 50 on Sunday, Bruno hasn’t stopped scoring.
Last Sunday he turned up for Calangute Veterans and scored from a trademark freekick to give his team a 2-1 triumph in the final. Since his retirement in 2004 when he was offered the joint director of coaching job at the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG), he has represented the Indian beach football team (2007), travelled to Dubai and the MiddleEast for veterans tournaments and won plenty of more honours.
“I will not stop playing football,” says Bruno. Looks like he won’t stop scoring either.
CLUB CAREER
1988-89: Dempo Engineering
1989-1991: Salgaocar SC
1991-92: Dempo SC
1992-2002: Salgaocar SC
2002-03: Vasco SC
2003-04: Fransa-Pax FC
What others say…
He often played so deep and was supportive for us strikers. He was too good with dead ball situations. Bruno was a strict captain on the field but off the field he was such a fun-loving person. You would often wonder if this is the same guy who was playing a while ago!
-IM Vijayan
Bruno had a great game and a great style. He stood out with his long curly hair and that powerful right foot. When I was a kid, I idolised him. I really hated him after that Federation Cup final. In front of 90,000 East Bengal fans, he tore us apart.
-Bhaichung Bhutia
He always led by example. As a footballer, he was cunning and had a wonderful knack of handling pressure situations. No wonder he was the most reliable captain of our times. It’s hard to believe that he is younger than IM Vijayan. It was a pleasure to share the same dressing room with him.
-Jo Paul Ancheri
Bruno had amazing shooting abilities. He combined superbly with Roy Barreto for Salgaocar and, while playing for club, they were as good as a foreign strike pair. He is among the best players that Goa has produced. He was a good India captain too and we won the SAFF (Cup) in Goa
-Carlton Chapman
He was my captain and never had a chip on his shoulder. I remember him most for his shooting ability, besides he could switch the ball from one end to the other, effortlessly. Off the field, he was such a joy too. Always laughing and cheerful.
-Godfrey Pereira