Why did AIFF reject Xavi Hernandez and other European coaches?

In a surprising twist and saga for the Indian football team's head coach role, the technical committee were shocked to find out that Barcelona legend Xavi had also applied for the role. The Spanish mastermind has previously stated that he sometimes follows Indian football due to the influx of so many Spanish coaches in the Indian top flight. As per news sources, many other legendary icons, like Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler, had also applied for this role alongside Harry Kewell. Many ISL veterans like Sergio Lobera and Antonio Lopez Habas were also among the few notable names. As things stand, the AIFF Technical Committee has shortlisted three names for the national team role, which include Khalid Jamil, Stefan Tarkovic, and Stephen Constantine.

Why AIFF Rejected Xavi?

What can be the primary reason why AIFF reject Xavi Hernandez? AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has said that the federation is not blindly chasing big names and is focusing on the holistic development of Indian football as a whole. There has been an instability in the national role in regards to the head coach role after the departure of Igor Stimac and Manolo Marquez. Many believe that a high-profile coach like Xavi would have been too expensive for the federation to sustain. A member of the technical committee said, "Even if Xavi was genuinely interested in Indian football and could be convinced to take up the job, we would need a lot of money."

After all, Xavi has proven his calibre both as a football player and a coach. He began his coaching journey with Al Sadd SC at the Qatari top flight and gained immense experience in Asian football. He later switched to FC Barcelona, where he helped the Blaugrana outfit to win the La Liga title in 2023. His appointment as Indian football coach could have been a revolutionary move. Despite being a high-profile coach, he went on to win seven trophies with the Qatari outfit despite limited resources and funds.

Indian Head Coach Application from Xavi Was A Hoax?

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently confirmed that an application for the Indian football team head coach role, supposedly from Xavi Hernández, was fake. The email was part of a prank pulled by a 19-year-old student from VIT, who admitted to generating an automated email using ChatGPT without attaching any credentials. Initially, the AIFF believed the application was genuine. The Indian football governing body, however, did not proceed, assuming Xavi’s hefty salary. The bizarre episode featuring the AIFF and the fake application has stirred conversation regarding digital fraud.

Other big foreign names who applied for the role

Apart from Xavi, former Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler had also applied for the Indian football team head coach role. He has previously coached in the Indian top division during his stint with East Bengal FC. World Cup–tested coaches with continental success and international acclaim, like Miguel Herrera, Philippe Troussier, and Winfried Schafer, were also among the few to fill the application.

There have been mixed reactions from fans after the technical committee shortlisted three names. Many felt disappointed with the lack of ambition, not to go with high-profile and tested foreign coaches like Petar Segrt. However, some lauded the decision to back homegrown talents like Khalid Jamil and feel that Indian coaches should also be allowed to bring back those old golden days of Indian football.