India need to work towards 'synchronised, possession-based philosophy', says AIFF's new technical director Isac Doru

New Delhi: India must work towards a “synchronised, possession-based philosophy” to perform and progress in international football, the country’s newly-appointed technical director Isac Doru said Friday. Alongside new national coach Igor Stimac, Doru addressed his first press conference in the capital. He said he could invite players from the 1970s and 80s for sharing their knowledge. [caption id=“attachment_6696811” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of India football’s new technical director Isac Doru. AIFF[/caption] “We have to learn from the past. We have to discuss, find the solution and implement the same as a nation. We have to chalk out our principles and work towards a synchronised, possession-based philosophy. I have already sat with different coaches and now I’ll invite the players who played in the 70s,” Doru said. According to him, the Indians are the “best dancers” in the world, using the analogy to describe their agility and athleticism, prerequisites for becoming successful footballer, besides technical skills. “What I feel is that Indians are very agile. What we need to improve is the coaching system and coach education. Say, in one game, there are 128 attacking actions and in another game, there are only 20. Which one will the fan like? India is a fast, dynamic nation and we need to focus on that,” Doru said. “It’s one of the principles and that’s what we should implement across age-groups, especially, the golden age-group comprising U-8s, U-10s and U-12s.” Doru was appointed last month, picked from a list of over 60 candidates who had applied for the post. The 56-year-old comes with a rich experience of almost 29 years in international football across several countries including France, Japan, USA, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Qatar among others. “We have laid down the strategic plan for the next four years and all of us including Igor (Stimac), other age-group National team coaches, club coaches, and former players have to sit down and discuss how we should move forward,” he said. Expressing his views on the tussle between I-League and Indian Super League, Doru said: “The situation of the leagues is not a conflict or war. It’s about being together. We need a positive environment and the right quality and quantity of matches. The way the games are played is important.” Stimac said that there needs to be a system in place for the ISL and I-League clubs to co-exist. “ISL is privatised and whoever is investing there expects to gain something, which is only normal. I-League, on the other hand, has been there for a number of years and has something that ISL can’t buy - tradition,” Stimac said.