The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday appointed Khalid Jamil as head coach of the Indian men’s national football team, making him the first Indian to hold the post since Savio Medeira in 2011–12.
Jamil replaces Manolo Marquez, who stepped down last month after a winless tenure that stretched over a year of competitive matches.
Jamil was selected from a shortlist of three, which included former national coach Stephen Constantine and Slovakian manager Stefan Tarkovic. The AIFF Technical Committee finalised the list on July 22 after consulting Subrata Pal, the national team director.
The committee leaned towards an Indian coach who could connect with the cultural and developmental context of the squad, a factor that helped push Jamil to the top of the list.
On August 1, the AIFF Executive Committee endorsed the Technical Committee’s recommendation and confirmed Jamil’s appointment.
Budgetary concerns also influenced the decision. The AIFF’s income dropped from ₹137.74 crore in 2023 to ₹110.5 crore in 2024, and it had to pay USD 400,000 to terminate Igor Stimac’s contract. Marquez, meanwhile, reportedly earned USD 10,000 per international window.
In this climate, hiring an experienced Indian coach made both financial and footballing sense.
Track record at home
Born in Kuwait, the 48-year-old has won India’s top division both as a player (with Mahindra United in 2005) and as a coach (with Aizawl FC in 2017).
An AFC Pro License holder, Jamil has coached across I-League, I-League 2, and the Indian Super League (ISL). His I-League title run with underdog Aizawl, its first and only top-flight title, remains one of Indian football’s most storied achievements.
Most recently, he took over Jamshedpur FC midway through the 2023–24 season, steering the team to the Super Cup semifinals and later to a runner-up finish and an ISL semifinal spot in the next season.
Sportstar understands that his work with Jamshedpur, managing a limited transfer budget, attracted interest from several ISL clubs, including Kerala Blasters. Talks, however, fizzled out amid the uncertainty surrounding the league’s next season.
Jamil’s first test as India coach will be a steep one. The Blue Tigers face defending champion Iran and 2023 Asian Cup quarterfinalist Tajikistan later this month in the CAFA Nations Cup. India, currently ranked 133rd, will play the tournament outside the FIFA window. Jamil is expected to have access to most of the national pool, aided by a week-long gap between the Durand Cup final and the tournament opener. The competition allows fresh squad selection for each matchday, giving Jamil the chance to assess a wider group of players.
Jamil remains contracted with Jamshedpur FC until 2026 but is expected to stay with the club at least through the end of the 2025 Durand Cup, where Jamshedpur has reached the quarterfinals.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com