Colaco seeks five-year term to change Indian football

While the AIFF has offered Armando Colaco a one-year contract as the national football coach with a possible extention of another year,the Goan wants clear charge for five years if Indian football has to make any gains.

While the AIFF has offered Armando Colaco a one-year contract as the national football coach with a possible extention of another year,the Goan wants clear charge for five years if Indian football has to make any gains.

Colaco,whose initial contract expires on September 30,is confident. I told the federation secretary that one year is too short a period to achieve anything. Players have gone back to their respective clubs and will be busy preparing for the I-League. The situation here is not like Europe or Latin America,where players get accustomed to different systems of play at junior level itself. In India,even some senior team players are not very clear about the formations and systems. My predecessor got five years to build a team; I also deserve a fair amount of time, Colaco told The Indian Express on Friday.

While there are stories of AIFF officials being upset at Colaco cancelling a match against Barbados during the Caribbean tour last month,it is also rumoured that the AIFF has already decided to appoint Salgaocar coach Karim Bencherifa to the national team for the next six months,with Dutchman Rob Bunn as the technical director. But Colaco is unperturbed.

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Whatever I did (in Barbados) was after taking the AIFF secretary into confidence. After a long flight,we had to wait for close to two hours at the Barbados airport,then another hour for a bus to the hotel. The hotel was worse than my village home and there was accommodation for only seven players. The team doctor said that it would be risky for them to take the field and I didnt want another Cristiano Junior-like incident. I spoke to the secretary and he told me to go ahead with the other two ties, Colaco explained.

But what about his association with Dempo,which is being seen as a conflict of interest? If they (AIFF) offer me a five-year contract,I will ask for a five-year leave from my office. I dont think that would be a problem, says Colaco.

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