NEW DELHI: India football team coach Stephen Constantine launched a stinging broadside in the general direction of the Indian Olympic Association for not allowing the team to take part in the upcoming Asian Games.
While the issue has rumbled on for a month, it looked like the football fraternity had made their peace with the decision. But Constantine, who was speaking on the issue for the first time during a press conference here on Sunday, called it an ‘appalling decision’.
“I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am (with the decision),” he said. “I think it’s appalling. It is based upon results of the previous Asian Games which comes once every four years. We are not the team we were four or eight years ago. I think it did us harm because I felt that we would have had a good chance to qualify from the group. It’s more games for these players... more big games.”
The exclusion of India from the Games wasn’t the only point of interest. A new club versus country row — very common in the sport — has threatened to erupt after Bengaluru FC said no to releasing two of their players for the preparatory camp.
But the 55-year-old, who was speaking during the launch of the national team’s preparatory camp ahead of the SAFF Cup next month, diffused the situation like he was part of an elite bomb disposal team.
“Firstly, I want to thank all ISL and I-League sides for releasing their players,” he said. “The way I see it, BFC is representing India at the AFC Cup. I think it’s important that our clubs participate in these tournaments and I think the decision to allow those two players to play in the AFC Cup is good for Indian football. I am 100 per cent behind that.”
He also hoped clubs would release players for a camp in December before the Asia Cup in January. “Yes, I do (if he hoped for co-operation from the clubs in December). We have discussed this several times and obviously, we are going to be needing the players. It’s very different from club football as you all know and it’s important that we get our players and get them into international mode.”
The camp, which will be broken into two parts, will first be held in India before it shifts to Abu Dhabi for the last weeks of the month. Apart from the friendlies against China and Oman (December 27 in Abu Dhabi), he said plans were in the pipeline to play two more fixtures before the opening Asia Cup game against Thailand.
The Englishman, who was in a particularly chatty mood, also said he had no agenda against Michael Soosairaj or anybody else for that matter. Soosairaj, who shined at times for Chennai City in the I-League, was expected to make the cut but failed to do so.
“I don’t think he is a big name... he is just like every other player we have,” he explained. “He had an okay season. He is now going to the ISL (Jamshedpur) and the doors to the national team are never closed but you have to understand. I can’t pick every player that everybody thinks is a great player.”
But that assessment was just second best on an evening when he reserved special scorn for the people who were behind the Asiad decision. “... poor decision.”
swaroop@newindianexpress.com