Latest Updates

March 2005

Firstly apologies for not getting round to doing anything for the February edition of the Latest news but to be honest there was not much happening!

The news is as many of you will no doubt know is I am leaving India after three very successful years. I had always said that I would leave no matter what and though there were times when it looked like I was going to go early I have stayed and done the best possible job for Indian football.

Stephen with the Technical Director for Tunisian football Malouche Belhassen

I would like to thank the players who have been outstanding they have made my time here in India a success and it has been a pleasure to work with them. I could not have asked for any more from them and simply put I owe my success to the players.

I would also like to thank the AIFF and in particular Mr Alberto Colaco who has been a great help to me in my time here, he has always been on hand to offer advice and support and for that I am grateful.

To the future and what next? Well if you read the papers I am off to Vietnam ! there has been some interest re the position in Vietnam but all I can say at the moment is it is only that.

As I am now officially leaving I can start to look for the next challenge where ever that is, Europe is an obvious choice as is Asia and of course Africa has a great deal to offer as well. I guess anywhere I feel would benefit my career has to be an option. I don’t want to go somewhere just for the sake of it or to make up the numbers I am ambitious and want to go somewhere where they have the same feeling.

I have also just returned from Zurich where we had a seminar on the new Futuro iii courses which FIFA have recently introduced. Having done a course already in Hong Kong we of course had to give a report on how and what we had done. The seminar overall was very intense with a lot of good ideas and suggestions for the future from coaches all over the world.

Zurich is a beautiful city and though at times it was minus 15 degrees it was still beautiful!!!!!! Of course when coaches get together there is bound to be a game of some sort and we were no exception playing amongst ourselves in an indoor arena of course!

So until next time all the best

Stephen