AIFF Under Fire For Misleading Supporters Over Xavi’s Coaching Application: 'He Never Applied For The Head Coach Position' - Reports

After Manolo Marquez's departure, the All India Football Federation has been in the hunt for the next football coach of the Indian Football Team. Many high-profile names applied for the post, including former FC Barcelona midfielder Xavi, as per a Times of India report.

Did Xavi Apply For The Indian Football Team Coaching Role?

The decision to relieve Marquez of his role came after India suffered back-to-back defeats against Thailand and Hong Kong very recently. Blue Tigers have been going through a rough patch, and they also hit a new low in the last nine years as they slipped six places in the FIFA rankings. Xavi remained one of the most sought-after managers, having coached Barcelona for a long period, but as per the TOI report, AIFF didn't consider him as they insisted they would not be able to afford his salary.

But now it has been reported that Xavi never applied for the Indian Football coaching role., Eminent journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that no talks were held between Xavi and AIFF. He tweeted, “Despite recent reports, zero talks took place between Xavi Hernandez and Indian Federation.”

Another esteemed Spanish journalist, Ferran Correas revealed that people closer to Xavi feel that the AIFF intentionally used his name to “boost the profile.”

As quoted by Barca Times, he said, “People close to Xavi insist that he never applied for the head coach position of the Indian NT. They believe the All India Football Federation intentionally used his name to boost the profile of the role during their search for a new manager.”

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AIFF Shortlisted Three Candidates For Indian Team Coaching Role

Earlier, the AIFF confirmed that the technical committee shortlisted three names, Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Štefan Tarkovič, among the candidates. The final decision will be taken by the executive committee, and an announcement could be expected anytime.

The Indian team is scheduled to visit Singapore for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers and will host them in the next match.

Also Read: All India Football Federation Turns Down Barcelona Legend Xavi Hernandez's Application For Coaching Role, Due To Financial Implications: Report