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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Did AIFF use Xavi's name to lure top applicants for India coach role?
World-renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano denied the reports being circulated in India, "Despite recent reports, zero talks took place between Xavi Hernandez and Indian Federation." New Delhi When news broke about Xavi Hernandez applying for the India football head coach's job, fans expressed their disappointment that his application would not be considered, as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) could not afford him. The incident echoed a similar sentiments from two years ago, when Argentina's football governing body approached the AIFF for a friendly match featuring superstar Lionel Messi. India had turned down the proposal, citing financial constraints. At the time, Messi fans called for a crowdfunding campaign to bring him to India. A similar sentiment resurfaced when Xavi's name emerged in connection with the national coaching role. However, Spanish media reports have claimed that Xavi never expressed interest in coaching India. 'Sources close to Xavi completely deny that he offered himself to manage the Indian national team. They claim the Indian federation used his name to try and appeal to better candidates,' Barça Universal posted on social media platform X. ‼️Sources close to Xavi completely deny that he offered himself to manage the Indian national team. ❌ They claim the Indian federation used his name to try and appeal to better candidates. — @sport — Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) July 25, 2025 Meanwhile, world-renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano also denied the reports being circulated in India. He wrote on X, 'Despite recent reports, zero talks took place between Xavi Hernandez and Indian Federation.' ????❌ Despite recent reports, zero talks took place between Xavi Hernández and Indian Federation. ???????? — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2025 News agency PTI quoted an AIFF official as saying, 'He (Xavi) applied for the job of the Indian senior men's team football head coach. He has himself mailed his application to the people in the technical committee, and it looks like he was very much interested in the job. However, those tasked with the responsibility of recommending the shortlist of coaches to the executive committee for final approval know that it's difficult.' Who has applied for the India football coach job? Three shortlisted by AIFF panel The experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine, Slovakia's Stefan Tarkovic, and Indian coach Khalid Jamil were the three candidates shortlisted on Wednesday by the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) technical committee. Jamil emerges as frontrunner Among the shortlisted names, Khalid Jamil appears to be the frontrunner to succeed Manolo Marquez, who stepped down earlier this month following a string of disappointing results. India's FIFA ranking has since dropped to 133—its lowest in nine years. AIFF received 170 applications The AIFF had invited applications for the top job on July 4, with a deadline of July 13. A total of 170 candidates applied, including several high-profile names such as former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell. Big names expressed interest before Xavi Before news surfaced about Xavi Hernandez's application, Fowler and Kewell had already thrown their hats into the ring for the India coaching position. Xavi's achievements as player and coach World Cup and Euro champion with Spain Xavi Hernandez was a central figure in Spain's golden era, winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup and back-to-back UEFA Euro titles in 2008 and 2012. Club legend with Barcelona The 45-year-old midfield maestro enjoyed tremendous success at FC Barcelona, where he won: Five La Liga titles Three Copa del Rey trophies Three UEFA Champions League titles He was instrumental in Barcelona's historic continental trebles in 2008–09 and 2014–15. From La Masia to global stardom A product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy—like his legendary teammate Lionel Messi—Xavi made over 750 appearances for the club during a 24-year playing career. He left Barcelona as a player in 2015 to join Qatar's Al Sadd, where he won four trophies before retiring in 2019. Coaching career: From Qatar to Catalonia After hanging up his boots, Xavi began his managerial journey with Al Sadd from 2019 to 2021. He then returned to FC Barcelona as head coach, serving from 2021 to 2024. During his time in charge, Barcelona won: The 2022–23 La Liga title The 2023 Supercopa de Espana
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
AIFF To Reveal New Head Coach For Indian Men's Football Team On August 1: Report
Last Updated: The AIFF is set to announce the new head coach for the Indian men's national football team on August 1. The shortlisted candidates are Constantine, Tarkovic, and Jamil. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is expected to announce the next head coach of the Indian men's national football team on August 1, as per reports. According to Sportstar, the resumes of the three shortlisted candidates have been forwarded to the AIFF Executive Committee, which has scheduled an emergency meeting for next Friday. The sole agenda of the meeting will be to finalize and confirm the new head coach. The Indian men's team has been without a head coach since July 2, following the mutual departure of Manolo Márquez after a one-year tenure, during which the team failed to win a competitive match. Selection Process Underway After the coaching position became vacant, the AIFF opened applications with a submission deadline of July 13. The response was overwhelming, drawing 170 applications from across the globe. With the FIFA international window approaching in September, and crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore scheduled for October 9 and 14, the AIFF is facing pressure to expedite the appointment process. The Executive Committee retains the authority to request additional candidates or seek further clarification before making a final decision. The AIFF's technical committee then shortlisted three candidates: experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine, Slovakian coach Stefan Tarkovic, and Indian tactician Khalid Jamil. All three are now being considered for the head coach position. Former India international Renedy Singh was also under initial consideration, but according to sources within the AIFF, the current assistant coach of Bengaluru FC was not included in the final shortlist. His name was instead discussed for the assistant coach role, a decision the committee decided should be made in consultation with the incoming head coach. Among the three finalists, Khalid Jamil is reportedly emerging as the leading contender. Crucial Fixtures Ahead India currently sits at the bottom of Group C in the third round of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, following a draw against Bangladesh and a defeat to Hong Kong. Their next fixture is a home match against group leaders Singapore on October 9. view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 18:07 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Xavi Hernandez's application for India coach role stuns AIFF, but federation unable to afford him
NEW DELHI: Spain's World Cup-winning midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez was among those who applied for the position of India's head coach, leaving the All India Football Federation (AIFF) pleasantly surprised, but allegedly unable to process his application for reasons that had nothing to do with football. Xavi, it is learnt, 'sent an email from his own account' to apply for the post. However, the AIFF could not proceed with the processing of his application as the costs involved in recruiting one of the world's finest midfielders were allegedly far beyond the federation's means. 'Yes, he (Xavi) applied for the job of the Indian senior men's team football head coach. He has himself mailed his application to the people in the technical committee, and it looks like he was very much interested in the job,' a source in the AIFF told PTI on Friday. 'However, those tasked with the responsibility of recommending the shortlist of coaches to the executive committee for final approval know that it's difficult. You understand that Xavi is one of the greatest midfielders of all time. People talk about Messi all the time, but he, along with (Andres) Iniesta, are right up there as far as Barcelona is concerned. So, yes, it is what it is,' he added. The experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine, Stefan Tarkovic of Slovakia, and home-bred Khalid Jamil were among three candidates shortlisted on Wednesday by the technical committee of the AIFF. Out of the three, Jamil appears to be the frontrunner to replace Manolo Marquez, who quit earlier this month after a string of poor performances by the national team.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Xavi Hernandez applies for Indian football coach role, but job set to go to an Indian
Spain's World Cup-winning mid-field superstar Xavi Hernandez was among those who applied for the position of India's head coach, leaving the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) pleasantly surprised but also unable to process his application for reasons which had nothing to do with the game. Xavi, it is learnt, "sent an email from his own account" to apply for the post. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Product Management Leadership Project Management Degree Artificial Intelligence PGDM Management Cybersecurity Public Policy Others Technology Digital Marketing Data Science others Healthcare MBA MCA healthcare CXO Data Analytics Data Science Operations Management Design Thinking Finance Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Roadmapping User-Centric Product Design Agile Product Development Market Analysis & Product Launch Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Creating Effective Product Roadmap User Research & Translating it to Product Design Key Metrics via Product Analytics Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics Product Development Processes & Market Orientations Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership Duration: 40 Weeks IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details However, the AIFF could not go ahead with the processing of his application as the costs involved in recruiting one of the world's finest mid-fielders was way beyond the federation's means. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now "Yes, he (Xavi) applied for the job of the Indian senior men's team football head coach. He has himself mailed his application to the people in the technical committee, and it looks like he was very much interested in the job," a source in the AIFF told PTI on Friday. "However, those tasked with the responsibility of recommending the short-list of coaches to the executive committee for final approval federation know that it's difficult. Live Events "You understand that Xavi is one of the greatest mid-fielders of all time, people talk about Messi all the time but he along with (Andres) Iniesta are right up there as far as Barcelona is concerned. So, yes, it is what it is," he added. The experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine , Stefan Tarkovic of Slovakia and home-bred Khalid Jamil were among three candidates shortlisted on Wednesday by the technical committee of the AIFF. Out of the three, Jamil appears to be the frontrunner to replace Manolo Marquez, who quit earlier this month after a string of poor performances by the national team. The side's FIFA ranking has plummeted to 133, which is its lowest in nine years. The AIFF had invited applications for the top job on July 4 with July 13 as the deadline. It received 170 applications, which included big names like former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell. Before Xavi, Fowler and Kewell had thrown their hats into the ring for the position. Besides the World Cup triumph with Spain in 2010 and Euro title victories in 2008 and 2012, the 45-year-old Xavi has won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies, and three UEFA Champions League trophies with FC Barcelona, including two continental trebles in 2008-09 and 2014-15. A product of the famed La Masia like his longtime illustrious FCB teammate Messi, Xavi's last coaching job was at FC Barcelona, where he was in charge from 2021 to 2024. Before that, the maestro was managing Qatari club Al Sadd from 2019-21. After his glorious 24-year stint at Barcelona, Xavi had also played for Al Sadd before being appointed the team's manager. He left Barcelona as a player in 2015 for Al Asadd, where he also won four trophies before retiring in 2019. As Barcelona manager, he led them to the 2023 Supercopa de Espana and the 2022-23 La Liga tile.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
ISL to go on this season, assures AIFF chief Chaubey; says national head coach appointment in 10 days
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey on Thursday assured that the Indian Super League (ISL), which has been put on hold for the time being, will be held this season, though he did not specify on a start date of the top-tier domestic competition. He also said that a new head coach of the Indian men's senior football team will be appointed within the next 10 days after the technical committee sent three shortlisted candidates to the AIFF executive committee on Wednesday to pick from. "As AIFF president, I assure you that the league will take place. But time is of the essence, there is an international calendar, FIFA windows, home and away matches, so time is a factor," Chaubey told PTI at the sidelines of a press conference hosted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). "If the league doesn't take place, it is not only footballers but the people who are associated with football will be affected. It's thousands of people who will be affected. So, we will put our best effort to ensure that the league happens," said Chaubey who is also a joint secretary of the IOA. MRA issues On July 11, ISL organisers FSDL announced that it has put the 2025-26 season "on hold" due to the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA) signed with the AIFF in 2010. ISL normally runs from September to April, and the current MRA between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organises the event, and the AIFF is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, by which time the ISL would be into its third month. Following a directive from the Supreme Court, the AIFF has been asked not to negotiate new terms of the MRA with (FSDL), the apex governing body's commercial partner running the ISL, until a final judgment is delivered in the AIFF draft constitution case. The Supreme Court may pronounce its judgment soon. "I am not saying it (ISL) will be delayed, we don't know when the decision is coming. And so as and when it comes, definitely the AIFF will take a call, sit with all the stakeholders and ensure that how smoothly these tournaments, including ISL, can be conducted." Head coach to be announced soon On the appointment of the national team head coach to succeed Manolo Marquez who mutually parted ways with the AIFF earlier this month, Chaubey said, "I think 10 days from now, if all goes smoothly. "We will hold executive committee meeting and thereafter the name of the head coach will be announced," he said. The experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine, Stefan Tarkovic of Slovakia and home-bred Khalid Jamil were among three candidates shortlisted on Wednesday by the technical committee of the AIFF. Out of the three, Jamil appeared to be the frontrunner to get the job. The AIFF had invited applications for the top job on July 4 with July 13 as the deadline. It received 170 applications, which included big names like former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell.
