The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Saturday that it received 170 applications for the role of the next head coach of the men’s team, including two individuals with the names of Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez.
However, it clarified that since the forms could not be authenticated, they were termed fake.
“… the AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernández. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine,” the Federation said in a statement.
The AIFF’s technical committee met on July 22 to decide on the head coach, and it was discussed that appointing a coach with a deep understanding of the Asian and Indian football ecosystem would be highly beneficial to the national team’s immediate and future success.
I. M. Vijayan, the chairman of the committee, said, “Given the immediate needs of the national team, it is advisable to recommend three coaches from the shortlisted pool for final consideration.
“Other prominent applicants, many of whom are highly qualified international coaches, will be taken into account for long-term strategic roles in the future.”
Accordingly, three coaches — Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic — have been shortlisted, with the final name expected to be finalised on August 1.
“Our focus is on finding a result-oriented professional who can maximise performance within the available resources and contribute meaningfully to the growth and future direction of Indian football,” Mr. Subrata Paul, Director, National Teams, said.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com