Indian football is not in a state of conflict- Isac Doru

The former U-19 Romania boss stressed the importance of passion in Indian football.

In their first official press conference, new AIFF Technical Director Isac Doru, and recently-appointed India gaffer Igor Stimac graced the Indian footballing fraternity, in Delhi's Holiday Inn.

Watch: Igor Stimac and Isac Doru's media interaction in Delhi

A former assistant of Arsene Wenger, Doru started off in a traditional way, "Namaste! Mera naam Isac Doru. Aapse milkar khushi hui (Greetings! My name is Isac Doru. It feels good to meet everyone)."

The Romanian has a pretty impressive resume, which was one of the probable reasons for his appointment. Other than Wenger, Doru has also worked with Carlos Queiros, and Bora Milutinovic. As Technical Director, Doru's main work will be to educate Indian coaches, and to formulate a common plan for the national setup.

Upon introducing himself, the Romanian went on to praise the AIFF's management and staff for their work in Indian football. The former Clementi Khalsa gaffer seemed to be well-versed in Indian football's history, and also shared his thoughts regarding the FIFA World Cup dream. "After spending two weeks in this country, and then I say that we will qualify for the World Cup, is nonsense. But India is not a new nation in football. During the 70s, India was one of the top nations in Asian football."

He continued, "Did we lose our passion? It might be a yes, or even a no! But now we have the passion, energy to think about qualifying for the World Cup. I am sure, sooner or later, it will happen, if we work hard in every level, including grassroots. It's not just the team's target, it is a national target. If we work together, then we can reach our objective."

Doru further stressed that Indian football needs to work as a unit to achieve its dreams.

Over the past few years, India have developed to a great extent in terms of football. But there are still a lot of things which can be improved, to take our national team a step forward.

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"We need to build a national model on how to play football. It is not about attacking or defending. But I can assure that our approach to the game will be synchronised. When we will defend, we need to think about attacking. Also, when we think about attacking, we need to think about defending. That is modern football," stated Doru, when asked about the national team's approach to games under the new management.

Currently, the scenario in Indian football is daunting with the administrators still unsure about the top-league status. The hierarchy seemed to be more favourable to the cash-strapped Indian Super League, while the many fans have given their support to the I-League. 

Regarding the current scenario, Doru stated, "Before I came to India, foreign media portrayed it as a conflict when talking about the current situation. But in reality, it's not a conflict. The federation is together in this. We need to work together to create a positive environment, about where and when we can find solutions."

"The most important thing is not about the quantity of the games. It is about the quality of the games," quipped the new Technical Director.

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On a concluding note, Doru stated that Indian football's past won't be changed, and a common plan needs to be made. He stressed the importance of having a synchronised, fluid possession-style football. The Romanian also praised Indians, by stating that they have become faster and agile. He also credited a growing passion in Indian football. Doru further quipped that a common plan needs to be formulated for Indian football, right from the grassroots level. 

"We have a well-defined strategic plan, and a national concept will be done as soon as possible," said Doru.