What went wrong with Bob Houghton? India’s national football coach had acquired the monicker ‘Bob the Builder’, for trying to raise I-League to the English Premier League level. Four years on, he is just another coach quitting in disgrace and scandal. India’s dismal performance in the Asian Cup—13 goals against, only three for—was excused by Houghton who said India played like “warriors”, and the side could walk with their heads “held high”.
This did not endear him to the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Houghton had reportedly called the AIFF unprofessional and criticised India’s poor facilities before the international media. But he had a free hand in running his team like no coach before. He held long camps in Portugal and Doha for his players to get the best facilities.
“He did not play practice matches against Qatar and refused to field his team against some African countries.
The team’s performance in the Asian Cup was dismal,” said Kushal Das, the AIFF secretary.
The coach was given a showcause notice by AIFF in early April on the basis of two confidential reports, one alleging racial abuse during the Yemen match in Pune on October 13, 2010.
In his complaint, referee Dinesh Nair said Houghton, upset with two extra minutes added at the end of the first half shouted “b****** Indian referees”. The AIFF officials for the Asian Cup filed the second one—a sixpage dossier with three startling revelations: 1. Bob hobnobbed with two agents Yogesh Joshee and Nuno from Portugal, and on two occasions gave them an AIFF vehicle to travel. 2.
Vita Monsinho Esteves, the team’s video analyst for the Asian Cup had only a still camera with him. 3. Houghton inexplicably refused the Qatar Football Association’s free hospitality in Dubai, choosing to bill AIFF for the contingent’s stay.
India’s technical committee, with Pradip Choudhury, Md Habib, Brahmanand and Inder Singh accuse Houghton and Bhaichung Bhutia of forming a coterie.
New talent like Md Rafiq, Robin Singh, Denson Devadas, Snehashis Chakraborty and Mehtab Hossain couldn’t make it to the field.
Despite an injured calf muscle Bhaichung Bhutia was in the Asian Cup team.
Houghton said Bhutia would inspire the team.
“Houghton was guilty of carrying an injured player, and denied young talents from being blooded,” an AIFF official added.
AIFF insiders say Houghton was impervious to criticism until a veiled threat from the federation made it clear that the racial abuse complaint would be forwarded to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). “He had no option but to give in.
AIFF was determined to sack him after a series of failures. When Bob joined in 2006, India was ranked 117.
In between we slipped to 165 before ending at 146,” says an AIFF official.
Houghton guided India to two Nehru Cup victories in 2007 and 2009, and to qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha after 27 years.
When he resigned citing personal reasons on April 24, AIFF dropped the racial abuse charge. A chapter came to an end with a lesson learnt by AIFF, at the cost of the football team.