Has Luis Norton de Matos resigned as the head coach of Indian Arrows?
The tactician posted a message seemingly indicating the same on social media earlier.
Indian Arrows head coach Luis Norton de Matos dealt a shock to Indian football fans earlier today, when he appeared to signal the end of his tenure with the team. Matos has been coaching in India for nearly two years now and was pivotal towards building a young squad for India's first ever participation at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. He also did quite well with the AIFF's Development side, the Arrows, who resurfaced last season, with the team performing pretty decently in the I-League as well.
But, in a rather peculiar post on Instagram, De Matos has indicated that he might be done with coaching the Indian Arrows team. In what seemed like a tribute post, the tactician thanked everyone who worked alongside him in his tenure as the U-17 and Arrows coach over the past two years. He also lauded and appreciated the support his teams got from the fans and went onto state how this young generation can work as a symbol of hope for the development of Indian football.
Read: Luis Matos' Instagram post
Matos also urged everyone to believe in the improving quality of Indian football and have faith in the team, as "nothing is impossible" when it comes to the growth of the Indian national teams according to him. Then, in a weird end to the post, he suggested that he might have penned his resignation as the manager as he urged everyone to believe that his "heart and thoughts" will always remain with the Indian football fans and teams in general.
While this cryptic post seems to indicate that the Portuguese might've had a falling out with the AIFF and left his post as Indian Arrows manager, nothing is confirmed just yet. It could turn out to be just a post in which Matos is being nostalgic about his fond memories when it comes to Indian football. But, there have been certain issues with Matos' position over the past year, with the sport's national governing body holding consultations on his future, before ultimately renewing his stay for one more season.
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[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]The AIFF might be vocal about their unbridled trust towards the Portuguese, but India's poor showing in the World Cup and the apparent lack of growth after it might be a cause of concern for them. There's yet to be a confirmation of whether the Arrows will even play a part in the I-League next season, with many thinking that they are taking the place of a more deserving team.
If Matos is indeed "walking away" as the manager of the team, it could also signal the end of the project as a whole. The AIFF might go back to using these boys as a national team and let them try and impress for other big clubs around the country. Regardless, this cryptic post from Matos should be cause for concern for Indian football fans and an indication that a major overhaul might be on the cards.
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