Indian Football over the years has been struggling to get past the big tournaments. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) despite having created a road map ‘Vision 2047’. There has been no development in the quality of football that is being played in the country. The structure has been divided into six four-year strategic plans. The Blue Tigers after failing to qualify for the second round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers 2026, sacked their coach Igor Stimac.
The former India captain Sunil Chhetri also lashed out about the quality of the footballers developing in the country. His words have questioned are the current footballers capable of competing on the world stage against the best Asian nations. Previously they had some amazing talents that helped them win against the best Asian teams like South Korea, Australia, and a lot more. Since winning bronze in the 1970 Asian Games, the team has failed to win any other major medal in the Asian Circuit.
Is Antonio Lopez Habas to change India’s footballing quality?
Antonio Lopez Habas is one of the favourite candidates to take charge. The former Mohun Bagan SuperGiants manager is currently without a team after he took charge of the iconic club midway through the last season making them the shield winners of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023/24 season and losing in the final to Mumbai City FC. The Spanish manager is known for his low-block counter-attacking system and has been a successful name in Indian football.
Habas understands the tenacity of the Indian football. He knows the circuit of Indian football well. He can be the best person to replace Stimac in the side. The team will be defensively very strong as he has been known to make his defense strong and make quick transitions during the counterattacks.
Despite having surgery recently he might be a choice to become the head coach as the management will want a known face rather than an unknown face to sit in the dugout. The 67-year-old manager can transform, the Blue Tigers and make them a formidable side to compete on the bigger stages of footballing events. So will Habas be the man to change the dynamics and change the myth of no quality footballers in the country.
