What’s the story?
Nicolai Adam, the coach of the U17 Indian Football team has been relieved of his duties by the All India Football Federation according to media reports. The German is believed to have been told to step down from his post on Tuesday evening.
The shock decision comes at the back of what the Indian football hierarchy thought to be unacceptable results in the recently concluded Granatkin Memorial Cup in Moscow. The team had finished at the bottom of the table in the 16-team tournament after managing only one win from five games. This included an 8-0 thumping at the hands of the hosts, Russia.
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India are set to host the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year in October. This is the first time India are set to host as well as participate in the final phase of any Word Cup organised by FIFA.
In preparation for the same, the AIFF has left no stone unturned to groom the best footballing talents across the nation in order to create a team that will fight for national honours later this year. This included condition camps and tours across the world in order to provide them with best possible facilities and pit them against the best opposition.
In order to achieve so, the team has been kept away from the media glare and was being developed under the watchful eye of Nicolai Adam. The German was placed in charge of the young Colts in February 2015 after fighting off competition from fellow countryman Bernhard Lippert and Dutch coach Wim van Zwam.
The UEFA Pro Licence holder had previously earned rave reviews for his work with Azerbaijan at various age groups having brought them to UEFA’s Elite Group. Adam also has the experience of working as the International Football Development Advisor for German Football Association (DFB).
The heart of the story
This move comes as a surprise, especially after some really enthralling performances from the Blue colts in the AFC U16 Championship last year. While they made an early exit in the tournament, the youngsters gave a really good account of themselves, taking the likes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to the wire.
Under Adam, the team had, however, made a semi-final exit in the SAFF Championship in 2015 – a tournament into which they entered as favourites.
What next?
It’s uncertain times for the U17 team as they now await to see what the future holds for them. The appointment of a new coach will means adapting to a new playing style only months before the main event.
Sportskeeda’s take
This seems like a foolhardy decision only a few months ahead of the big event that the team has been preparing for the last two years. And judging the team by merely results at this point, seems a bit harsh. This team is built for the future and the results of their hard work will take some time to show. This just goes to show the short-sightedness on the part of the AIFF.
