Former Bengaluru FC head coach Carles Cuadrat is worried about the decisions that India is taking as a footballing nation. The Indian national team finished third in their group and qualified for the 2020 AFC Asian Cup third round of qualifications. However, their inability to secure wins against lower-ranked teams remains a cause of concern.
“I have been watching the games that they were playing in the last few days. I love Indian football and I’m really worried about the decisions that we are taking as a footballing nation,” he told Khel Now on their ‘Beyond the Scores’ podcast.
He is deeply invested in Indian football and spent a major time discussing the Blue Tigers. “If you see the results, it shows that we are not winning enough games. So, I think that we have lost too much time trying to get to know the players and trying to find a system that we want to play,” said Cuadrat.
“If you see the way the team is playing and the results that you are getting, it looks like we’ve lost two very important years,” he added.
Speaking of the national team head coach Igor Stimac, Cuadrat felt that the coach needs to understand the importance of youth development and familiarity with domestic football.
“I think that we have to have a very clear vision on what we can get now from our players. For me, to sign a foreign coach that doesn’t know enough about local football looks really strange,” he reflected. “If you see the way the team is playing and the results that you are getting, it looks like we’ve lost two very important years.”
He shared his opinions on appointing foreign coaches but wants the coach to handle situations with experience. Someone who knows what is happening in that country.
“The Indian Super League is growing up very fast and is producing better players. Those players need to adopt a world-class system, as well as seek international opportunities,” he added.
“For me, it makes sense to go for a foreign name, but not the one with no experience in the country. I think that the national team coach has to know what’s going on in the country. It can be foreign coaches that already have been working for 3-5 years in the country. It can also be Indian coaches, why not? The ones who already are working in some ISL clubs and have international experience as players, like Khalid, Moosa or others,” he opined.
