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| Bob Houghton |
New Delhi: The controversy surrounding India football coach Bob Houghton’s resignation is finally over with the Briton himself Wednesday announcing that he has struck a deal with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to continue till 2013.
“I have signed a contract till 2013,” Houghton, who had threatened to resign in May after he learnt that the AIFF was looking for a new coach after the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar, said at a press conference here on the eve of national team’s departure for a two-month training tour of Portugal.
“My plan is to stay after Asian Cup. But like any other coach, it’s never look beyond a big tournament,” said the Briton, tongue in cheek, referring to the continental event which will be a tough test for him and his players.
Houghton is not new to controversy, including the latest resignation drama which hit the headlines two months back, and Wednesday also he hit out at the clubs for hampering in the development of Indian football.
He at first expressed satisfaction that the clubs have allowed the players to prepare exclusively for the Asian Cup. But later, he practically laid the blame for national team’s poor world ranking to the club bosses.
“There has not been much change in Indian football in the last four years of my coaching career here. The national team’s performance depends on the I-League and domestic structure and the clubs do not want to change,” he said.
Houghton and 28 national players are leaving at wee hours on Thursday for Portugal for the training tour as part of their preparations for Asian Cup in Qatar next January.
Apart from the two-month training tour of Portugal there will also be seven international friendlies lined up before the prestigious tournament.
Defender Gouramangi Singh will join his teammates in a few days as he is yet to reach the country from Australia after failing to get a contract with the A-League side Melbourne Heart FC.
Striker Sunil Chhetri, who is also among the 30 players selected for the preparations, is not expected to be in Portugal as he has joined Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizards in March.
“Sunil will join the team later, may be in November,” Houghton said.
“For one month from July 1-31, the team will be based at Vierra, a small town some 200 kms from Lisbon on the road to Porto. It is a peaceful place with good football facilities. A Portuguese league third division side is based there.
The whole of August, the team will train at facilities of Portuguese Premier League side Sporting Clube in Lisbon and play 10 friendlies against second division sides.
“The players will train at the Sporting Clube academy for the month of August. The academy is famous for producing two World Footballers of the Year in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo. We will play 10 friendlies there,” the experienced British coach said.
From Lisbon, the players will directly go to Bangkok to play an international friendly against Thailand on September 4. They will return here on September 5 or 6 to host the Thai side for another international friendly at Ambedkar Stadium on September 8. (PTI)