Fans furious at AIFF not shortlisting Petar Segrt for India head coach role

A three-man shortlist has been finalised for the Blue Tigers head coach role!

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appears to be getting closer to appointing a new head coach for the India national men’s team after the departure of Manolo Marquez. The federation reportedly received over 170 applications from different coaches from around the world, but it appears that they have now shortlisted three individuals who have the chance of becoming the new India national team head coach.

The AIFF are now considering Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil, ex-India gaffer Stephen Constantine, and Slovakian gaffer Stefan Tarkovic as three candidates to take up the position. It’ll now be upon the AIFF executive committee to make the final decision on who becomes the next India head coach, as the federation aims to work quickly to get the position filled.

However, it appears that their shortlist options have not impressed all the Indian football fans. The AIFF have snubbed a number of prominent and well-known coaches by narrowing down their shortlist to just three candidates for the India national team head coach role. It looks like a lot of fans are angry that Petar Segrt is not among the candidates being considered for the position.

Petar Segrt is a Croatian coach who has been working as a head coach for over a decade now. Segrt has coached the Georgia national football team in his career and has extensive experience in coaching Asian national teams, too. Indeed, he has worked as the head coach for the likes of Afghanistan, Maldives and Tajikistan’s national football teams.

Segrt helped Maldives win the 2018 SAFF Championship by defeating India in the final, as well as helping Tajkistan win the 2022 King’s Cup and the 2023 Merdeka Tournament trophies during his stint with them.

On top of that, Segrt is a charismatic person who is respectful of those working in the beautiful man and someone who can get the best out of his players with his unique coaching techniques. Many Indian football fans appear to be angry that the AIFF haven’t even given Segrt the chance to make a case to become the next India head coach, by dismissing him from the final shortlist.

Also Read: Top 10 coaches who have applied for Indian Football team head coach role

Fan reaction after AIFF snubs Petar Segrt

The AIFF technical committee, who made the decision to dismiss Segrt from the final choices, are attracting a lot of criticism for their decision. Some fans feel that members of the AIFF technical committee are not knowledgeable or experienced enough to make decisions for the India football team head coach and that they were wrong in dismissing Segrt from the possible options.

Irrespective, it doesn’t look like Petar Segrt will have a chance to become the next head coach for India and will need to wait to find a new job for himself after being relieved as the Tajikistan boss in 2024.

The AIFF executive committee will now need to decide whether to bring back Stephen Constantine for a third term, or appoint an Indian head coach in Khalid Jamil or turn to an experienced foreign head coach in Stefan Tarkovic.

The Indian football team are going to return to action in October 2025, when they face Singapore twice (at home and away) in their next set of matches at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification round.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.