Will appoint national coach by end of this month, says Praful Patel
AIFF president Praful Patel revealed that the Indian governing body will most likely appoint a permanent national coach to replace Stephen Constantine by the end of April itself. Big names such as Sam Allardyce, Sven Goran Eriksson, and others have been rumoured to have applied for the job.
The Indian football team are currently without a coach after Stephen Constantine’s resignation post the disheartening exit from this year’s AFC Asian Cup which was held in UAE. The All India Football Federation was rumoured to have received more than 250 applications for the post of head coach.
From the total 250-odd applicants, sources within the Indian body have hinted that almost 35 individuals are well-known names from Europe and elsewhere. AIFF president Praful Patel revealed that a permanent national coach will most likely be appointed by the end of April itself.
"If the candidate fulfils the criteria, what we are looking at, and if he is well-qualified, then we can think of that (appointing a big name). The appointment will be made as soon as possible, maybe by the end of this month," AIFF chief Praful Patel told PTI sources.
On Saturday, Patel became the first Indian to be elected as a FIFA Council member. Patel won with a record-breaking margin, as he secured a total 38 out of the 46 votes at the 29th Asian Football Confederation Congress in Kuala Lumpur. Patel, who is a member of parliament, also addressed the AFC Congress on behalf of its president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa who was mourning the loss of his mother.
As far as the post of coach of the men’s team is concerned, popular names such as Italy’s Giovanni De Biasi, Sven Goran Eriksson of Sweden, France's Raymond Domenech and England's Sam Allardyce are rumoured to have applied for the job. However, former Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca remains AIFF’s first choice for the coveted post.