Jamshedpur FC look set to miss the Spanish flavour in edition 8 of the Indian Super League (ISL) starting in Goa later this year.

Its contract with two Spaniards, Aitor Monroy and David Grande, who were part of the Jamshedpur squad in the 2020-21 season, has ended and the Tata Steel-owned club has not signed them on for the cash-rich tournament ahead.

While midfielder Monroy’s contract was for two years, forward Grande’s was for one-and-a-half years. It is not sure if Jamshedpur would again go for Spanish footballers this time. Spaniards were always part of the squad since the 2017-18 season when JFC took the ISL field for the first time.

The likes of Jose Luis Espinosa Arroyo (Tiri), Sergio Cidoncha, Carlos Calvo, Pablo Morgado, Sergio Castel and Noe Acosta have donned JFC jerseys in the earlier ISL editions. Centre back Tiri has even led the side.

Jamshedpur had one Spanish player in the 2017-18 season, five each in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season and two in the 2020-21 season.

Apart from Spanish players, two Spaniards Cesar Ferrando and Antonio Iriondo have worked as mentors for JFC before Scotland-born Owen Coyle took charge in the 2020-21 season.

Coyle has his own style of operating and players are drafted into the squad as per his recommenations. It was Coyle who, among others, ensured the signing of English defender Peter Hartley and Lithuaian goal machine Nerijus Valskis for Jamshedpur in the last season.

Coyle also introduced his own style of play as tiki-taka (short passes), the style followed during Ferrando and Iriondo’s tenure as head coaches, took a backseat.

A member of the JFC team management said both Monroy and Grande do not fulfill the requirement of head coach Owen Coyle. “Nationality of players does not matter when it comes to squad formation. Players who fulfill the requirement of the head coach are considered,” he said on condition of anonymity.

Apart from Monroy and Grande, JFC might also miss the services of Alex Lima, a Brazilian midfielder who has so far shown no willingness to join the club. This apart, JFC Is all set to feel the absence of towering Nigerian defender Stephen Eze who is looking to play in the European circuit.

The Men of Steel stood sixth with 27 points (20 matches, seven wins, as many loses and six draws) in last season’s ISL held in Goa.

Goa will once again host the upcoming edition of the tournament starting in November.