What’s the story?
In his upcoming autobiography, Indian national team coach Stephen Constantine sheds light on his career in the beautiful game and specifically states the hardships he had to go through to ensure the national team had proper facilities and living conditions.
Constantine has been lauded by the nation for his terrific job in masterminding India’s rise to 96th position in the latest FIFA rankings and creating a positive atmosphere around the team. In his book, “From Delhi to the Den”, the Englishman talks about the struggles a coach in India has to face for even the most basic of amenities.
Constantine also shares just how difficult it is for players to get hotels to stay in and get proper, healthy food to eat.
In case you didn’t know…
The book releases on July 25th and is an interesting account of what goes on in the national team camp. Constantine talks about a number of issues in the game but also highlights the strides Indian football has made over the years. His first stint as coach in 2002 is specifically discussed, with several key features arising in the book.
The heart of the matter
In the book, Constantine discusses a particular incident in Jamshedpur where the team arrived for a month long camp. To his dismay, the Indian coach realised that the accommodation for players was organised in a stand at the stadium itself, with disintegrating walls and stale air.
Constantine recalls that after much protest the team was shifted to a hotel within the budget but food remained a problem for the players.
He highlights professionalism as the key component that he wished to instil in the players.
What’s next?
While his stint from 2002-2005 may not have proved fruitful, Constantine’s second coming in Indian football has yielded miraculous results. The team are now reformed and rejuvenated and sit amongst the top 100 countries in the world. As things stand, the sky is the limit for Team India.
Author’s take
Constantine’s love for the game and his contributions to Indian football cannot be understated and he remains a popular figure even in the dressing room. His book promises to reveal more secrets of the game in India but his brilliant work with the national team will ensure he is forever remembered as one of Indian football’s very best coaches.
