Newly-appointed head coach Amelia Valverde begins India journey with World Cup goal in mind

India starts gearing up for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2027

As India senior women’s team gets ready for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, newly appointed India senior women’s team head coach Amelia Valverde has set her sights firmly on history, revealing that the opportunity to lead India towards a maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification was the key reason behind accepting the role.

Amelia arrived in Türkiye on Monday to join the national team camp, just 44 days before India’s opening match against Vietnam in Perth. Since landing in Türkiye, Amelia has already overseen two training sessions with the team. Speaking to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), she shared her thoughts on the camp, her preparation plans and her vision for the Blue Tigresses, giving a glimpse of the work she plans to do in the coming weeks.

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Q: What motivated you to take on this challenge with the Indian national team, and what are your immediate plans with the group in Türkiye?

Amelia Valverde: First of all, I believe that when we talk about motivation in terms of a challenge, it is very important to understand what it means to have a chance to qualify for a World Cup with a team in a new confederation. It is a great responsibility. India have been doing important things in women’s football, and it has been more than 20 years since we last qualified for the Asian Cup. Now we have this opportunity to reach the World Cup for the first time.

When I was contacted (about this job), I was very detail-oriented and wanted to inform myself as much as possible, because it is a different challenge from what I am used to. But I like challenges, and this is definitely one. I believe I can contribute a lot to this team, and at the same time, they will teach me as well. That makes me very happy.

I am very pleased to have accepted this role. The immediate plan here in Türkiye is to get to know the group and make the most of the time. We actually started working two days ago, as soon as we arrived.

Q: How have the first two days been with the players and the team? What is the atmosphere like right now?

Amelia Valverde: There have been two days of a lot of work, but very good days as well. It is a very respectful group we have, and you can see that it is a group that has already been working. The players understand the importance of this.

From my side, I have tried to get to know them as much as possible, gather as much information as I can about the players, learn about their history, and ofcourse about the staff as well. The key right now is to create that synergy as quickly as possible.

Q: Could you tell us more about Eli Ávila (goalkeeping coach) and José Sánchez (strength and conditioning coach), who have joined with you here?

Amelia Valverde: Eli Ávila has worked in football for a long time. He spent more than 10 years at the Football Federation (of Costa Rica) and has been involved in many Women’s World Cups (at various levels). He has a great deal of experience, not only with goalkeepers but also with teams in general.

Eli can contribute a lot in moments where reading the game and staying calm is important. He is someone I trust deeply and who has been very close to my entire coaching journey over the years. I am very happy to have him with us. I know he will help the goalkeepers grow through his experience and his work, and we also expect that they will teach him about the potential that Indian goalkeepers have.

As for José Sánchez, he is our fitness coach. He also holds a coaching license. He has worked in both women’s and men’s football and is extremely well-experienced. I am also very happy to be on this journey with him.

One of the most important things for us is to help players perform at the top level internationally. If there is someone I know who can help achieve that, it is him. We want players not only to compete during tournaments, but to train in a way that prepares them properly to compete.

There are important aspects related to training loads, strength work, and many other things. This is a collective effort — the physical side, technical, tactical, recovery, and goalkeeping — all working together to help the team grow as much as possible.

Also Read: India senior women’s team’s coaching staff ahead of AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026

Q: What was your perception of the Indian team before joining, and how does it compare now? How do you view their progress?

Amelia Valverde: I closely follow World Cup qualification processes across different confederations, and I was already aware of the very good progress India made in Thailand last year. When I had my first contact, I started gathering more information.

I believe the country is making an important effort to grow the national team and giving players, even those who may not be fully professional, experiences closer to high-level competition.

This is a very brave team. Everyone works very well. It is also a young team, which I believe is an advantage. That was my initial perception, and now that I am here, it has been confirmed.

Q: What kind of footballing philosophy are you planning to bring into the team? What kind of football can we expect to see under you?

Amelia Valverde: First of all, I like my teams to be very brave. I like teams that are united and supportive, both on and off the pitch, both defensively and offensively. No one is above the team. All players are important, whether they are on the pitch or not.

I also like teams that are aggressive going forward. This particular team has players of great quality, especially when attacking at speed, and we want to exploit that. We want to be a very organised and compact team, and when we recover the ball or have possession, we want to attack with intensity.

Q: You have just over a month before the Asian Cup. How do you plan to implement your ideas, and where do you think the team stands right now?

Amelia Valverde: In this case, we are in a race against time, as people say. We have to focus on today, on the energy, and on strengthening everything that already exists within the team.

We want to raise the team’s intensity and improve them physically. We do have time to work on that. If we focus too much on whether the time is short or long, we might not give this process the energy it truly deserves.

Q: Based on your World Cup experience with Costa Rica and facing Asian teams, what will be key for India at the Asian Cup?

Amelia Valverde: The first key is to have faith in the team’s identity and in the players. It is a very quick team, and it can become even quicker in attack. Concentration will be crucial.

I have played against Asian teams like Philippines, Japan and China. These are very consistent teams. To counter them, we must be equally organized and clearly identified in our style. Mentally, we must be very strong. Matches in these tournaments at such a high level are usually very tough and tight. Any moment can decide a game, so we must stay focused.

At the same time, belief is essential, believing that at any moment something can happen in our favour. This competition is built every day, mentally, physically, and in all areas, so that when the moment arrives, we can deliver our best possible performance.

Q: What inputs have coaches Crispin Chettri and Priya PV given you? What has the conversation been so far among the coaches there? How is the coaching collaboration working?

Amelia Valverde: For us, as technical staff, it is very valuable that coaches Crispin (Chettri) and Priya (PV) are here. They have been with the players for a long time. Our responsibility now is this camp in Türkiye, then the Asian Cup in Australia. Given the time we have, we need as much information as possible from those who know the players best. The coaches have been very open and supportive. We talk constantly to analyse player profiles and discuss different approaches.

We have to build a team within the team, technically speaking. Crispin and Priya, the three of us, coach Mario (Aguiar) with the goalkeepers now complemented by Eli (Ávila). Their presence is extremely important due to their experience and long-term involvement. Our task is to combine all that knowledge and energy to help this group grow as much as possible.

Q: Why and how did you shift from a player to a coach at a very young age? You were just 28 when you coached Costa Rica in their World Cup debut. How has your journey been so far?

Amelia Valverde: I stopped playing at 22 or 23 because I decided to. Women’s football in Costa Rica was not professional at the time. Our coach left the team, and a teammate suggested why don’t we take over.

I was a physical education teacher and had already been coaching youth teams, so I decided to do it. I never imagined it would lead me here. After two years, the federation (FCRF) called me, first as a fitness coach, then as an assistant.

I never imagined I would spend 13 years at the federation, go to three World Cups (twice senior and once U20), and later have the chance to coach a club abroad. It has been a great honour. I feel very fortunate. This opportunity with India confirms that life and football have been very good to me, and this is no exception.

The opportunity to coach a national team abroad, to have the chance to coach on a different continent and in World Cup qualifiers, that’s what attracted me to this. I was given the opportunity, and well, here I am, practically 18 years later. I feel very happy to have this opportunity to represent India in the Asian Cup and the World Cup qualifiers.

Q: If you had to choose your favourite moment in your coaching career so far, what would it be?

Amelia Valverde: I have two. The first was qualifying Costa Rica for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The second would be the two league titles with Monterrey. Those days were very special, some of the happiest days of my career. I hope to experience moments like that again very soon.

Q: What message would you like to give to the fans in India?

Amelia Valverde: First, we need all of your positive energy and good vibes. The team and the players are doing a very good job. The dreams and the hopes are alive. We are working as hard as possible to represent this great country in the best possible way. We know the responsibility we carry, and we hope to be able to give the fans all the happiness.

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