New Delhi, May 8
Croatia’s Igor Stimac is the front runner to be the next coach of the Indian men’s football team when the national federation (AIFF) officials meet here tomorrow.
The technical committee of AIFF, headed by former India international Shyam Thapa, will interview the short-listed candidates at 2 pm at the Football House here.
The technical committee has short-listed four candidates, including two-time South Korean World Cupper Lee Min-sung and the familiar Albert Roca, for the job of the chief coach. Roca had tasted immense success at Bengaluru FC.
The other two aspirants in the fray are ex-Croatia national team manager Igor Stimac and former Sweden coach Hakan Ericson.
Thapa said after interviewing the probable candidates, the technical committee will forward the name of the selected candidate to the AIFF’s executive committee. “It will again be video interviews and then the most suitable name will be forwarded to the federation’s executive committee with recommendations. The executive committee will take then take the final call,” Thapa said.
The position has been lying vacant after Stephen Constantine quit following India’s AFC Asian Cup campaign earlier this year.
Owing to the Indian team’s spirited showing in the AFC Asian Cup and a run of 13-match unbeaten streak prior to that, more than 250 candidates, including some top names from Europe, applied for the job.
As coach, Stimac was in charge of the Croatian national team from 2012 to 2013. In club football, the former centre-back has had brief spells in charge of Hajduk Split, Cibalia, NK Zagreb and Zadar, Iranian club Sepahan and Qatari club Al-Shahania.
The Indian team is scheduled to play matches in the King’s Cup on June 5 and June 8, and a preparatory national camp will be held under the new coach in the third week of May. — PTI
India to play Curacao in King’s Cup
India will play against Caribbean nation Curacao in their first match of the 47th King’s Cup football tournament at Buriram in Thailand on June 5. The hosts will face Vietnam on June 5 in the four-team tournament. As per the FIFA Rankings of April, India are ranked 101, while Thailand are 114. Vietnam are 98 and Curacao are 82. India’s previous participation in the King’s Cup was in 1977.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2JaurCE
via Today’s News Headlines
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