Indian football stars want coach Stephen Constantine sacked; here's why

Members of Indian senior national football team want coach Stephen Constantine to be sacked as they are unhappy with the 55-year-old tactician's "regimented" approach and the way he steals limelight from players after crucial victories.

Senior members of the side even alleged that Constantine's technical knowledge is not good enough, according to a report in "The Telegraph". The players are likely to meet AIFF president Praful Patel to express their disappointment with the coach.

Tenchnical committee aware of developments

The report also reveals five players from the team recently met AIFF general secretary Kushal Das and requested an immediate assessment of the coach, whose contract expires in 2018.

Notably, Das informed members of the technical committee of AIFF during a meeting in Delhi earlier this month about the players' unhappiness with Constantine.

"I do meet players, coaches and officials regularly on various issues. I am in no position to discuss such things," Das told the newspaper while confirming he met the players.

'Players deserve credit and not the coach'

Under Constantine, who began his second stint with the team in 2015, India qualified for the AFC Asian Cup final rounds for only the fourth time in the tournament history and the first time since 2011.

Sunil Chhetri's men have also stitched an unbeaten 11-match streak, which saw them rise in the FIFA rankings ladder. Notably, India broke into the top-100 for the first time in over 20 years under the British tactician.

However, players feel that the dream run is a result of "exceptional good work" of a few players and "certain amount of luck". They also told the federation officials that Constantine is not technically sound and that he benefits because of "fitness factors".

Contrasting remarks

Players reportedly feel that they don't get the deserved credit after good performances and there is also lack of trust within the team because of the way Constantine operates.

However, the players' reported remarks appear to be in stark contrast to Constantine's comments after India booked their place in the AFC Asian Cup with a 4-1 win over Macau earlier this month.

"If not the best, this Indian team is surely one of the best Indian teams in history and the credit goes to all. Starting from the players to the supporting staff, it's the result of everyone's dedication and hard work," Constantine said after the win.

Controversy with autobiography

Meanwhile, the report also sheds light on how Constantine's autobiography "From Delhi to the Den", in which he has highlighted the influence of cash-rich Indian Super League (ISL) in the poor performance of India during their defeat to lower-ranked Guam during the World Cup Qualifiers in 2015.

It will be interesting to see how the AIFF handles the situation, given India will head into the important AFC Asian Cup campaign in January 2019.