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What's the story?
Head Coach of the Indian national football team Stephen Constantine’s was offered a contract extension by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday. It was unanimously decided by a committee headed by former footballer Shyam Thapa to prolong the Englishman’s stay in India until the end of the AFC Asian Cup next year.
The AIFF has said to have offered him a 20-25 percent salary hike in order to convince him to sign the contract extension.
In case you didn't know...
Constantine has been in charge of the ‘Blue Tigers’ since 2015 and has done a laudable work with the whole unit. It was during his reign that India entered the Top 100 of the FIFA Rankings after a long time. India is currently placed at the 102nd spot, which was a vast improvement from the 166th spot when Stephen Constantine took charge in 2015.
The heart of the matter
Constantine was reportedly paid $20000 (Rs. 12, 80,000) per month. His contract was supposed to be terminated in March later this year, but the word is that he will be kept with a 20 to 25 percent hike in his salary.
With only 11 months remaining for the Asian Cup, the AIFF would not want to delay the process any further.
What's next?
India has already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup which is scheduled to be played next year in the United Arab Emirates. Though it will be an uphill task for Sunil Chhetri and Co. to make a mark in the competition yet the recent form will cheer them up a bit ahead of the mega event.
Author's take
Stephen Constantine has been with the team for the past couple of years and is aware of the strength and the weaknesses of the players. It will be a big advantage if he sticks around till the AFC Asian Cup. The players’ never complained about the coach, so the AIFF hasn’t hesitated to renew his contract.
