Stephen and the Media

Stephen Constantine – Catching up with England’s nomadic coach

lesrosbifs.net, August 2010 - by Gav

Name: Stephen Constantine

Date of Birth: 16th October 1962

Birthplace: London

Present club: —

Previous clubs: Achilleas, APEP, Nepal, Bournemouth, India, Millwall, Malawi, Sudan, APEP

Last known whereabouts: En route to Moldova

The last time Les Rosbifs spoke to Stephen Constantine, he was getting ready for a World Cup qualifying campaign with Sudan. Since then, he has continued to run various coaching courses for FIFA and UEFA, as well as a stint in charge of Cypriot First Division side APEP FC. However, due to various shenanigans at the club, his rein was short-lived and ended in June 2010 – soon after it started. Again, one of the best English coaches in the game is without a club or country.

Les Rosbifs: Stephen, what happened at APEP?
Stephen Constantine: Well it’s a strange one really. I was busy planning the pre-season and trying to sign players. In fact I had offered deals to several British based players and booked the pre-season camp. Things were really moving in the right direction as we aimed to bounce back into the 1st Division. I then got a call saying the club Chairman had decided to quit the club!

I had been in constant touch with him so it was a surprise to say the least. He was the main source of income for the club and after 8 years, decided he was not going to put anymore money into the club. This meant I could not sign the players I had agreed terms with, nor was there any money for much else. The club, from being a contender, suddenly became a club that were in deep financial trouble. In a nut shell it was impossible for me to stay. That’s the short version!

Is there any chance of things changing there and you going back. You do have a couple of previous stints with them…
Sadly no. They are a lovely club but I need to look forward, not backwards.

You had started to build a good squad there for the new season.
Yes. We had brought in some very decent youngsters and I was able to persuade the players I wanted from last season to stay with me and get us back up, which they did to a man. We really were ready for the new season.

Cyprus must be a world away from Sudan?
Yes and no. You get problems everywhere you go and I seem to attract these types of jobs. The good thing in Cyprus is my wife Lucy and my 3 daughters are there and its great seeing them every day!

Would it be preferable to coach in Cyprus again?
Gav, you know me by now! If the right opportunity comes I will look at it closely.

How did you feel your stint with Sudan went in the end?
I was asked to come and do a specific job, which was to rebuild the National team. There were 7-8 players over 32 years old and changes needed to be made. I did that but unfortunately I was not able to finish the job. The situation was very unstable and as you can see now, they have removed Dr Shadad and without him, the FA there are going to have serious problems.

Do you think you changed the mentality towards selecting players from the capital clubs?
For sure. It had never been done before and many players who would never have got a look in are now established players in the national team.

As your CV illustrates, you lead a very nomadic coaching life. Is there anywhere you would never go to?
I don’t think so. I love my job and working with players. I would like to see more of my family though so I think I will try and stay closer to home.

Has there been any interest in your services of late that you could divulge?
Yes and from several places: here in Cyprus, Greece, Africa, and Asia. All are more like enquiries though.

How was the World Cup for you?
It was ok, nothing special, sadly to say. Especially with England being so poor, and the vuvuzelas really ruining any real atmosphere. The standard of play was also poor as everyone was trying not to lose. Spain aside of course. I liked the way Chile tried to play and Uruguay were good.

And given the chance, what would you have done differently with England in the WC?
For sure I would not have taken a few players who were there. I would have played Joe Hart in at least one of the games. It’s easy to pick things up after the fact to be fair and you don’t really know what is going in the camp. I think Fabio knows a lot more about the team now then he did and I am sure he will make a few changes.

Do you wish you were more recognised in your homeland?
Well without sounding too brash I think a lot of people have heard of me. It’s finding one of them to offer me a job managing in England. I mean, no one can say that I have not paid my dues.  I am fairly well connected worldwide re. players and have done ok everywhere I have been in conditions that most managers would not even think about taking the job.

You may know that Fabio Capello is looking to appoint a young English coach to his staff. I asked Paul Ashworth (ex-Skonto Riga) about this, and he thought I was joking to even mention his name in relation this. What about you?
Paul is right. Sadly in England they don’t look past the names and it will be some ex England player that gets that job. It’s a bit like the club jobs going in England: the chairman wants to appoint a name first and foremost and then a coach.

Do you feel, with your experiences of the game outside of England, that the FA are missing a trick by not using you?
I think there are a lot of good coaches that have worked abroad and don’t get the respect or credit for what they have done. I think, for example, with the World Cup in Africa, the FA could have used my experience in some form or other. I have coached there for the last three years after all.

What has been the pinnacle of your career?
Honestly I think I have had quite a few great moments. Being decorated by the King of Nepal was special though and something I will never ever forget.

Where next for you?
A good question and I wish I knew the answer! I would like to stay a little closer to home. By that I mean a direct flight to get home. It seems I get the jobs where I have to change once, sometimes twice, before getting a flight home!

Back to Press Coverage