Borja Herrera did not leave Indian football quietly. When the FC Goa captain described the situation around the Indian Super League (ISL) as “untenable,” it was not the language of a disgruntled footballer chasing a better contract.
It was the verdict of a seasoned professional who had spent years buying into the league’s promise and finally concluded that the system could no longer protect even its most committed players.
Herrera’s departure to Indonesian club Persijap Jepara in December 2025 stands as one of the most telling exits of the ISL crisis. At 32, the Spanish midfielder was not just another foreign import. He was FC Goa’s captain, a tactical lynchpin, and a leader whose influence extended beyond the pitch. His decision to walk away is best understood not as an isolated transfer, but as a consequence of prolonged administrative paralysis that stripped Indian football of its professional credibility.
Herrera’s Indian journey began during the pandemic years, following head coach Manolo Márquez from Spain. Over stints with Hyderabad FC, East Bengal, and finally FC Goa, he built a reputation for reliability and intelligence. Unlike mercurial attackers or short-term signings, Herrera offered continuity. His numbers at FC Goa 14 goals and 10 assists only partially reflect his importance. He controlled tempo, delivered in big moments, and set standards in training. His 2024–25 ISL Goal of the Season, a curling free-kick against Bengaluru FC, symbolised his value: composure under pressure.
By the time he was named captain at Goa, Herrera had fully invested in the project. Under Márquez, the club developed a clear identity, blending possession-based football with tactical discipline. The technical staff, led by Indian football stalwarts like Derrick Pereira, believed they were building something sustainable. Herrera, as Márquez’s on-field extension, was central to that vision.
The expiry of the Master Rights Agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited in December 2025 plunged the ISL into uncertainty. With no commercial partner, no broadcast clarity, and no confirmed season timeline, the league effectively froze. By the end of the year, the 2025–26 season was already three months overdue. Meetings came and went, but decisions did not.
For players, the consequences were severe. Herrera spoke candidly about the reality of being without competitive football for over seven months. Match fitness, contract security, family planning all became question marks. For an elite professional, such limbo is not merely inconvenient; it is career-threatening. Herrera’s use of the word “untenable” captured this precisely. It was not frustration alone, but the absence of basic professional guarantees that forced his hand.
What made Herrera’s exit particularly symbolic was his affection for FC Goa itself. He was careful to separate the club from the system. He described the dressing room as a “family,” and his farewell message carried no bitterness toward teammates or staff. The failure, in his eyes, lay squarely at the administrative level a governance structure unable to provide certainty or accountability.
His departure also exposed the wider damage to Indian football’s competitive standing. FC Goa were representing India in the AFC Champions League 2 at the time, yet entered continental matches under-prepared, lacking rhythm and stability. The team lost all group games, a collapse that mirrored the domestic chaos. Herrera’s absence both in leadership and quality was keenly felt, but he was hardly alone. The ISL witnessed a steady exodus: Edgar Méndez, Adrian Luna, Noah Sadaoui, Roy Krishna. Herrera was simply the one who said it out loud.
In moving to Indonesia, Herrera did not chase glamour. He chose a league with a calendar, contracts, and clarity. That contrast is damning. Indian football, once positioned as a rising force in Asia, was now losing elite professionals to regional competitors not because of money, but because of governance.
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From a broader perspective, Herrera’s exit raises uncomfortable questions. What does professionalism mean if leagues cannot guarantee seasons? What message does this send to young Indian players aspiring to make football a career? When captains walk away, not in protest but in resignation, the problem runs deeper than results or tactics.
The tragedy is that Herrera’s story did not have to end this way. His career in India was productive, respected, and deeply integrated. He could have been part of the league’s next phase. Instead, his exit became an indictment.
If Indian football is to recover, it must treat Herrera’s words as more than criticism. They are testimony. Stability, transparency, and respect for players are not luxuries they are prerequisites. Until those foundations are restored, Borja Herrera’s exit will remain less an exception, and more a warning of what happens when a system asks professionals to endure the indefensible.
