AIFF Technical Committee to meet on Wednesday to shortlist candidates for head coaches

The technical committee of the AIFF, led by former Captain Im Vijayan, will meet on Wednesday to give the candidates on the shortlist for the appointment of the head coach of the Senior men’s national team after the Federation 170 had received requests for the vacant position.

After Spaniard Manolo Marquez and the All India Football Federation have mutually agreed to separate earlier this month after the downward spiral of the team, the national instance applications for the top track invited July 13 as a deadline.

«The Technical Committee will meet on July 23, revise the applications and prepare a shortlist to be given to the AIFF Executive Committee. The AIFF EC will then accept the last call (on the appointment),» a source of the development told PTI.

It is learned that the AIFF is in favor of making the appointment, because in September there is a FIFA International Match window and India their AFC Asian Cup qualifying round -matches plays on 9 and 14 October -against Singapore Home and Away.

In this scenario, the nominated candidates may not be called for interviews that will take much more time before the actual agreement. The AIFF has already written the applicants about how much they want (as compensation) and what their vision of the national team is.

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“It is not the start of the season and so the AIFF has to point out a coach quickly. But it is up to the TC to decide whether they want to interview the candidates.

«It is likely that the TC will give the candidates on the shortlist and present to the EC for the appointment. The TC will present the EC the details through a presentation why they give the candidates on the shortlist.» Subsequently, it is up to the Executive Committee to take on a call on the appointment. The EC can also ask the TC to recommend more names and ask further questions, the source said.

Other members of the Technical Committee are Shabbir Ali, Victor Amalraj, Climax Lawrence, Harjinder Singh and Santosh Singh.

In the meantime, among the 170 candidates who have applied for the job, there are some big names such as former Liverpool -Stars Robbie Fowler – who also briefly led Oost -Bengal – and Harry Kewell, as well as Peter SGRT, former coach of Tadjikistan, Maldives and Afghanistan.

Former India head coach Stephen Constantine has also requested the function. The 62-year-old Anglo-Cypriot has twice the leadership of the Indian team of 2002 to 2005 and from 2015 to the Asian Cup in 2019.

Constantine also coached East Bengal in the Indian Super League in 2022-23 and until recently was head coach of Pakistan. He has previously worked as head coach of countries such as Nepal, Malawi and Rwanda.

Not many Indians have requested the job with only Khalid Jamil, Sanjoy Sen and Santosh Kashyap are the best coaches including.

Sen won the Santosh trophy from 2024-25 with Bengal and the I-League with Mohun Bagan in 2014-15.

Former Mohammedan Sports Coach Andrey ChernyShov, Sergio Lobera from Odisha FC, Inter Kashi Gaffer Antonio Lopez Habas, an ISL winner at Atk and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, and Staikos forgetis, I-League Winner with Punjab FC, are also in Punjab FC.