The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has confirmed that coaching applications purportedly submitted by Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez to manage the Indian national football team were fake.
Earlier in the week, AIFF national team director Subrata Paul claimed that former Barcelona star Xavi had applied for the vacant role. However, the AIFF released a statement Saturday clarifying that the email submissions were not authentic.
“The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine,” the federation stated.
The AIFF had advertised for a new head coach following the resignation of Spaniard Manolo Marquez earlier this month after a disappointing tenure, which saw India win only one of eight matches. The vacancy reportedly attracted 170 applications.
India’s men’s national team currently ranks 133rd in the FIFA world rankings — its lowest position in nearly a decade — and has won just one of its last 16 matches.
