Right structure required to take Indian football forward: Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson

CHENNAI: Indian football is at an all-time low. The top-tier leagues are yet to kick off for the season, and the players have no option but to plead to the national federation, at a time when they must be putting on a show on the pitch.

In a period when much ink has been spilt on the country’s football ecosystem, Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson stressed that a structure must be built to reap rewards in the future. Hallgrimsson, who recently guided Ireland to the World Cup playoffs, has a fair idea of Indian football, considering his association with Sports For Life (SFL), a platform for grassroots sports development.

“Football is not a new sport in India, but there is not much experience that one can tap into. Obviously, a football culture is not there. So, people in charge may not have been in the game or played the game at an elite level. We, as coaches, can only teach what we know. That is a weakness which needs to be assessed,” Hallgrimsson, the global ambassador and football mentor for the SFL, told TOI during a virtual interaction.

While there is a feeling of doom and gloom in Indian football, Hallgrimsson remarked that it is not impossible for the country to create a superstar if a structure is put in place.

“In India, football is growing really fast, like everywhere else in the world. If it (work) is done properly, the next big one can come from India. If there is a good structure, it is kind of unlikely that there will be no big football players from India. I do not know when, but it will happen at some point of time. If we start early, we may have a big name in the game in 10 to 12 years,” added Hallgrimsson, a former Iceland and Jamaica coach.

Talking about his work at the SFL, Hallgrimsson said: “I like the project. I have a really broad spectrum of coaching; I have done a lot of seminars for coaches in Iceland. So, I am trying to help the SFL and ensure that they do not take the wrong step like many have done.”





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