Exclusive Interview With Indian National Coach Bob Houghton - Part One

On entering the lobby of a very prominent hotel located in south Mumbai in which the talismanic coach was staying during his visit to the financial capital of India, I sat down to gather my thoughts  before my meeting with Bob Houghton.

 As I sat on the plush sofa and looked at those around, I was surprised to see a figure approach. It was the man himself. I was taken by surprise as he arrived 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled meeting. 

After exchanging pleasantries, I immediately shot off my first question, which obviously was, how can Indian football go to the next level? How could an average football fan in India, who follows the English Premier League and the other European leagues, develop a liking towards the game in this country? 


“The only way forward is the success of the national team. It is not just an entity by itself, but an ultimate product of the game and the players it’s producing.

“Cricket is followed passionately since the national team does well and is always fighting to be the best against the top notch countries. If India regularly plays the Asia Cup football and later even the World Cup, people will begin to follow the sport,” he explained. 

For the success of the national team, the clubs have an important role to play. It’s with them that the players spend most part of the year. Acknowledging the same, Houghton illustrates with an experience of his own.

“After my first six months at Malmo (Swedish club) in 1974 came the World Cup. I got a card from the Sweden national coach, Georg Ericson which said, ‘Thank you very much’. Just two players from my team were in the Swedish squad and I didn’t understand what the invite was for. 

“In the following World Cup in Argentina, nine of my players were in the squad and the coach asked me to come along. I still didn’t understand. 

“However later, I did realise that the clubs do play an important role.” 

Coming to the vision, Houghton stresses that there are no shortcuts to success and the problem lies with the existing structure where the national players are involved for a long period. 

“When the boys aren’t in the national set-up, it’s difficult to maintain the standard as the I-League isn’t strong enough. There needs to be a change to the infrastructure. The clubs have to become proper clubs with training grounds, assistant coaches, physios, masseurs, etc. It’s incumbent now for them to do so or else you’ll never produce quality players. 

“I hope that the I-League CEO (who is to be appointed) will have some executive powers whereby he ensures that the clubs are involved in developing the players.

“Presently, you see the clubs have a budget and spend that entirely on the salaries of the players. You can have a criterion wherein the clubs are forced to keep 30% of their budget for development programmes. 

“You will pay US $25, 000 to a player to help you win the league and not spend any on the development programme with no Under-19, Under-16 and Under-14 teams. It’s that attitude which holds Indian football back. If you want Indian football and the national team to be successful, you need a proper structure. Salgaocar and JCT are good examples where such a system is in place.” 


Having won the AFC Challenge Cup last year, India has qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup. In the last three years, India has won an international tournament following a long national camp. Realizing the importance of keeping the boys together for a longer period, the Indian FA shall alter the domestic calendar next season to suit the needs of the national team. 

“On three occasions, the AIFF, though it’s Executive Committee, has asked that we keep the national team together for a long time. First, it was (Priyaranjan) Dasmunshi when I first arrived here and the following year, when we conducted the I-League workshop, several clubs were keen to do it following the success in the Nehru Cup ’07. 


“And Praful Patel in his first Executive Committee meeting suggested why don’t we keep the boys together for 18 months.” 

But the Englishman admits the programme may reap results for now but in the long run, such a structure can’t be sustained, which only goes to highlight the need for a strong and competitive I-League. 

“We know that in the long run, this isn’t sustainable as a strong I-League is needed. Next year the I-League will start in February 2011 with the boys being with us from June 2010 until the main tournament. 

“Thereafter, every year there is a possibility that the I-League will start in February, with the time from October to January to be used for the national camps. During the summer, we can’t play enough as most teams are resting. If we play only on FIFA days, I have the boys only for seven days which is too short a time.” 


Houghton speaks with zeal as he talks of the changes Indian football has to undergo and has clear-cut ideas; which sadly isn’t the case with those involved in the people’s game. On top of his list is to update the Indian domestic calendar with international standards and to professionalise the set-up as it’s the basics, which are missing. 

“It’s difficult for me to implement the ideas as it’s not my job. If it were my decision, I would bring about an enormous change starting with keeping professional football away from state associations. We would disperse several tournaments. But the problem is when you go do it; people don’t want the change as they live in a narrow environment. You can’t streamline the structure with so many tournaments. 

“The I-League has to be run by the AIFF with the I-League’s CEO organising it.” 

If you have read the Shakespearean tragedies, the protagonist always has a choice to make before the downfall and as the name suggests, a tragedy means that the competent central character would choose the wrong path. Houghton wants the concerned people in Indian football fraternity to opt from the two options, which shall set the agenda for the future of the game here.

“What’s more important -- to be happy with the Santosh Trophy and maintain your status quo or work on the path for a successful national team? They have to make a choice whether they want to change. 

“Football is here for more than a 100 years and still the rank is 150. There must be something wrong.”  

Rahul Bali.