Wim Koevermans steps down as Indian football coach

SILIGURI: The telltale signs were there for everyone to see after the match against Palestine here on Monday evening: A round of applause from the Indian players for the coach, followed by warm handshakes.

A few minutes later, Wim Koevermans confirmed what was being speculated for quite a few days -that he would not continue as the national team's head coach.

"Yes, this was my last game in charge of India. I'll also not be the technical director of the All India Football Federation. The reasons for my decision are personal," said the Dutchman, who had taken charge of the national team in August 2012 and whose contract runs till the end of this month.

Winning the Nehru Cup in 2012 itself could be the highlight of Koevermans' two-year stint, but it has not been a smooth sailing since then.

The team failed to qualify for the 2013 AFC Challenge Cup and lost the SAFF Cup final to Afghanistan.

"My job was not easy. I had to change the national team's style of play. I believe we have made improvements in this respect. Sometimes we won and sometimes we did not.

But, in every game, we created enough chances. Although we could not win the SAFF Cup, we played well in the semifinal and final. In my view, the performance in general was good. However, that is still not enough," Koevermans said, adding that his successor would also find the job a crown of thorns.

Koevermans, who was member of the Dutch national squad that won the 1988 European Championship, stressed on the need of a youth development programmes in the country.

"There needs to be more focus on youth and youth competitions. The under-19 competition should be stretched for the whole year and there should also be meets for the under-15s and under-17s. We also need to bring about improvement in the I-League. If that does not happen, we will stay put at a certain level.

Hopefully, the Indian Super League will come good for the football in the country," said Koevermans.

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