The India national football team has been in shambles for quite some time now. But now, after accepting the resignation of head coach Manolo Marquez, the All India Football Federation have a big task lined up in their mission to revamp the Indian football team, that is to find a new coach, for a stable future ahead, and most importantly, to boost their chances of securing a slot in the AFC Asian Cup 2027. As per a report in the Times of India, the AIFF have received 170 applications for the job role of new head coach of the Indian football team, where some big candidates like Liverpool FC legend Robbie Fowler has also applied. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey Strongly Denies Corruption Allegations Against India’s Football Governing Body.

Manolo Marquez stepped down from his role on July 2. In a couple of days, AIFF opened the application process for the new head coach role. Although AIFF have not released a list of the 170 candidates who have applied for the head coach role, it has been learnt that Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler is one of the big names to have applied for the role. Robbie Fowler has coached Indian football giants East Bengal FC in the ISL. It has also been learnt that Harry Kewell, another former Liverpool star, had applied for the role. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey Says Stakeholders Will Decide Number of Indian Strikers in Playing XI for ISL Teams.

Besides the stars, British coach Stephen Constantine, who has managed IFT in more matches (73) than anyone else during his two stints, has also applied for the role. Stephen Constantine also coached East Bengal FC the last time he was in a role in India. Several big Indian coaches, stalwarts like Sanjoy Sen and Khalid Jamil, have applied for the role. Sanjoy Sen is an I-League and Federation Cup winner with Indian football greats Mohun Bagan, and has over a decade of experience managing Indian players across various levels. Khalid Jamil has proved his worth in the ISL, competing as a highly-rated coach with Jamshedpur FC in the midst of all foreign maestros.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2025 01:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).