Clifford Miranda, the interim head coach of Odisha FC and the only Indian coach to win the Super Cup, believes that the professionalism demonstrated by foreign coaches is what convinces clubs to appoint them over Indian coaches. In an interview with Hindustan Times’ football podcast Kicks For Free, Miranda expressed that unless Indian coaches learn to convey their professionalism, their lament about top coaching jobs in India being taken up by foreigners will continue.
Miranda defines professionalism in coaching as the way coaches run training sessions, organize their day and the people around them. He also mentioned that players are smart and can quickly determine if a coach deserves the position in just two days. Miranda argues that Asian coaches lack technical and tactical knowledge because they don’t watch enough football and don’t do enough analysis. He feels that this has hampered Indian coaches’ chances of securing top jobs.
Why Indian Coaches Must Convey They Mean Business, According to Clifford Miranda
To change perceptions about Indian coaches, Miranda is focusing on developing himself and the players he has, and hopes that corrective measures will be taken. He mentions that some former India teammates, such as Renedy Singh, Gouramangi Singh, Sameer Naik, and Bibiano Fernandes, are good coaches. However, Miranda believes that Indian coaches must convey that they mean business and learn professionalism to change the trend of hiring foreign coaches.
Miranda, who joined as an assistant coach for Odisha FC this season after four years on FC Goa’s staff, believes that he is ready for the top job. He is confident that he will become a head coach in the future and is willing to take up a good project in the I-League if he does not get the opportunity in the Indian Super League (ISL).
The interim head coach is not interested in bringing in a revolution but is working on getting Odisha FC ready for Saturday’s knockout game against Gokulam Kerala FC, which is at stake for an AFC Cup berth in the 2023-24 season. Miranda is happy to call Odisha FC his home and is focused on developing the organization, himself, and his players to change the trend of hiring foreign coaches.
Indian coaches need to convey that they mean business and demonstrate professionalism to convince clubs to appoint them over foreign coaches. Miranda’s achievements and his confidence in taking up the head coach’s role prove that Indian coaches have the potential to lead teams to success.
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