Was Xavi among applicants to be Indian coach? Social media in a tizzy

When it comes to the selection of a new Indian men’s football team coach, likely to be announced on 1 August, talk seems more about the big names who applied for the post rather than the shortlisted candidates. Social media was abuzz on Friday after a media report emerged claiming Spanish icon Xavi Hernandez, a former Barcelona coach, had actually been among the 170-odd applicants for the job.

Speaking to the Times of India, AIFF (All India Football Federation) national team director Subrata Pal confirmed that they had received an email for Xavi, but it’s a no-brainer that negotiating with him would have been akin to reaching for the stars. The AIFF administration, firefighting on several fronts, had already burnt its fingers after shelling out a fortune for not honouring the contract with Croatian Igor Stimac and is cagey about going for another high-profile name so soon.

The three names shortlisted by the AIFF technical committee for the job are Jamshedpur FC coach Khaled Jamil who appears to be the frontrunner, former coach Stephen Constantine, who propelled India from a FIFA ranking of 173 to 97 in three years during his previous stint, and Stefan Tarkovic, former coach of the Slovakian national team.

With the AIFF technical committee reportedly inclined to offer the post to an Indian — aka Jamil — after a long time, Tarkovic is the only new name in Indian football on the list. A former coach of the Slovakian men’s national team, the 52-year-old’s last coaching assignment was with Kyrgyzstan (men), which he guided to the 2023 Asian Cup before the side made a group-stage exit.

Jamil, the youngest of the trio, guided Aizawl to the I-League title in 2017 and worked wonders with an unfancied Jamshedpur FC, which made the Indian Super League semi-final and Super Cup final last season. Bengal’s veteran Santosh Trophy-winning coach Sanjoy Sen and former India captains Shanmugam Venkatesh and Renedy Singh were also on the list but could not make the cut.

Speaking to National Herald, well placed sources in the AIFF confirmed that the three names have been selected by the technical committee from a whittled-down list of 20 (10 Indians and foreigners each) and sent to the executive committee. ‘’A decision will be taken by next week but with no MRA (Masters Rights Agreement) in place, resources are limited and it remains to be seen whether the appointment is till the end of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers next March only or a multi-year one,’’ they said. 

The chief coach’s post had fallen vacant after the federation relieved Spanish Manolo Marquez of his responsibilities on 2 July and advertised for the post.

While big names like former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler — who had a short and unhappy stint with Kolkata’s East Bengal FC — were also in the mix, Xavi’s name came a major surprise. A member of Spain’s golden generation which won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and two Euro Championships in 2008 and 2012, Xavi was part of the all-conquering Barca midfield with Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. As Barcelona head coach, he led it to the 2023 Supercopa de España and the 2022-23 La Liga title.

‘’AIFF getting slammed for not appointing Xavi as the head coach. He could have changed the trajectory of Indian football. Unfortunately, we only believe in investing in cricket,’’ posted @imDhananjay on his X-handle.

However, given India’s current world ranking of 133 and the ecosystem running the game, Stimac’s rant that even ‘a Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho’ couldn't help change its fortunes is perhaps a more objective assessment.