Pakistan head coach Stephen Constantine highlighted some major issues in Asian football discussing the issues that could be resolved in the short term and long term to elevate the quality of football in the region.
Constantine, 61, started his international managerial career in Nepal in 1999, since then he has managed India, Rwanda, Sudan, Malawi, and now Pakistan. Constantine created history as he became the first manager to take Pakistan to the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in their history.
The legendary manager pointed out how people are trying to make money and how businessmen are trying to use the sport to benefit themselves not focusing on the development of players.
While speaking to a British media outlet, about India, a team that rose to 97th FIFA rank from 173rd FIFA rank under his coaching, he stated, “There are players from Japan or South Korea playing in Europe but we don’t have players from India or China playing in the Premier League. This is because in the region there is not enough focus on the development of the players people are more focused on winning or trying to win.”
“The problem in Asia for me is that we don’t pay attention to details. The level of coach education could be better because I see us, the coaches, as teachers of football for our players,” Constantine explains. “But, in Asia, a lot of coaches just coach the players, they don’t teach them how to play, they don’t do it with passion,” said Constantine.
Pakistan’s head coach urged the coaches in Asia to get further education and upgrade themselves while admitting that the coaches in the whole region do not coach with passion nor do they have the tactical acumen required to succeed at international football.
As an Arsenal fan, he wished his boyhood club good but said that it would be really difficult for him to predict whether they will win the Premier League in the three-horse race or not.
The British manager will lead Pakistan against Saudi Arabia in their next home match at the Jinnah Stadium in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, on June 6.
