The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has confirmed an application for the national team’s head coach vacancy purporting to be from former Barcelona boss Xavi was a hoax.
The AIFF’s national team director Subrata Paul told The Times of India on Friday that the federation had received an application under Xavi’s name, although a member of the AIFF’s technical committee was quoted as suggesting it would not be financially viable to pursue.
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On Saturday, the AIFF said it had narrowed its head coach shortlist down to three applicants and in the process had dismissed hoax applications purporting to be from Xavi and Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola.
An AIFF statement read: “The AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine.”
India have been without a permanent manager since Manolo Marquez’s contract was mutually terminated at the beginning of July. Marquez’s return to former side Goa has since been announced.
The AIFF said it received 170 applications for the head coach role, which has since been whittled down to three by the technical committee.
Guardiola, 54, signed a new contract with Manchester City in November which runs until 2027, while Xavi, 45, has been out of management since departing Barcelona at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Speaking to The Athletic in May, he explained the Indian Super League was among the divisions he follows due to the number of Spanish coaches working in it.
“La Liga (I follow) the most,” Xavi said. “Then the Premier League. Not so much the French league, but sometimes I’ll watch PSG or Marseille, especially Paris. Italy, I follow Como because I have a couple of friends there, Sergi Roberto and Cesc Fabregas. I have good friends in Saudi and Qatar, so I follow the leagues there. I watch a lot. I love football. I also follow Panama because my friend is there. And sometimes the Indian League because many Spanish coaches are there.”
India, ranked 133rd in the FIFA men’s world rankings, are next in action on October 9 when they face Singapore in an Asian Cup qualifier.
(Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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