Football: AIFF Issues Statement on Xavi applications, Pep Guardyola Men’s Coach Job for India | Football news

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has confirmed that a lot of coaching applications from Spanish legend Zavi Hernandez were fake. The AIFF also revealed that he had received a similar application from someone pretending to be a Pep Guardiola. In an official statement issued after a meeting of a major technical committee, the Federation said that it could not verify the authenticity of the email that claims to include both Xavi and Guardiola. It was later revealed that they were not real. “In addition, AIFF received an email to present applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Zavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since come out which the email applications were not real,” said in the statement. There was a discussion in the Indian football circles when reports suggested that former Barcelona captain and recent manager, Zavi, was interested in India’s job. That discussion is now kept to rest, the Federation has focused on practical options.

After undergoing 170 coaching applications, the AIFF technical committee has shortened three names for the head coach role: Stephen Constantine, Stephen Torchovic and Khalid Jamil. Constantine is well known in Indian football, torchovic brings experience from Europe, while Jamil has a strong relationship with a domestic view. National teams director Subrata Paul said that the AIFF wants someone who understands Indian and Asian football deeply. “This is a very important moment for Indian football. We want a coach that brings technical expertise, but also understands our unique culture, style and players,” he said. India’s recent decline in the performance and the current FIFA rankings of 133 have put pressure on the Federation. Former coach Igor Stimax was temporarily replaced by Manolo Markes, who left the post even after a disappointing run.