By Samindra Kunti
February 7 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has offered national team coach Stephen Constantine an extension of his contract up to the end of the 2019 Asian Cup. The Englishman qualified India for the continental championship, but within federation circles doubts rose about his suitability to take India forward.
Following a meeting of the AIFF’s technical committee in Mumbai on Wednesday, the federation decided to keep Constantine on board by offering him a contract extension, reasoning that the coach had meet the federation’s ‘dual target’ of qualifying India for the Asian Cup, the first time since 2011, and achieving a top 15 FIFA ranking amongst Asian countries.
In 2014 Constantine began his second spell as the head of the Blue Tigers and led India to Asian Cup qualification in a group with Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Macau. The Indian team is currently on a 13-game unbeaten streak, but Constantine’s credentials were questioned as the federation re-evaluated his coaching stint.
The Englishman’s salary was also contentious. Constantine draws $20,000 a month, making him the highest-paid foreign coach in India, but he demanded a review of his package, according to local media reports. The federation last extended his contract in November 2016 and India steadily climbed up the rankings under Constantine.
The technical committee’s decision will have to be ratified by the AIFF’s executive committee. Constantine will have to decide if he takes up the AIFF’s offer or not. The committee also met Luis Norton de Matos, India’s coach at the U-17 World Cup in October. De Matos was to present a roadmap for the team’s future.
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