AIFF dismisses Xavi and Pep's reported applications for India men's football team head coach job as hoaxes

The AIFF has clarified that the reports of Xavi Hernandez applying for the Indian national football team's head coach role were false. The football body stated that it received a hoax application from someone claiming to be the Barcelona legend, but no genuine application was submitted by Xavi himself. The clarification has come after close sources of Xavi had already attributed the reports to be untrue.

Additionally, AIFF has revealed that it received another application of the same sort but this time the sender was Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (not the real one).

The report garnered a plethora of eyeballs, with many fans and football content creators of India expressing angst with AIFF over not following up on the application of Xavi. However, clarity has now been brought to the matter, revealing that the applications purportedly from Xavi and Pep were, in fact, hoaxes.

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Three coaches shortlisted for the job

It has been reported that three coaches have been shortlisted for the role from the pool of 170 applications. As per reports, Stephen Constantine, who has coached India before, Karim Jamal, and Stefan Tarkovic are in the reckoning for the role and the decision on who will get the job will likely be announced on August 1.

Paying heed to the current situation, Mr. I. M. Vijayan, Chairperson, Technical Committee, stated, “Given the immediate needs of the national team, it is advisable to recommend three coaches from the shortlisted pool for final consideration. Other prominent applicants, many of whom are highly qualified international coaches, will be taken into account for long-term strategic roles in the future.”

Mr. Subrata Paul, Director, National Teams, said, “It is a very important moment for Indian football, and we are committed to appointing a coach who not only brings technical expertise but also understands the unique style, culture, and dynamics of Indian and Asian football. We believe such a coach will be able to connect with our players quickly and effectively. Our focus is on finding a result-oriented professional who can maximise performance within the available resources and contribute meaningfully to the growth and future direction of Indian football.”