AIFF say Xavi links to India coaching job were a hoax saying ‘Email applications received were not genuine’.
On Saturday, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) verified that a fake application for the position of head coach of India, purportedly submitted by Xavi Hernández, a former Barcelona manager and Spain midfielder, was fraudulent.
Xavi’s name was on the list of candidates, the director of the Indian FA’s national squad told the Times of India on Thursday. An AIFF technical committee member was also reported in the paper as stating that his candidature was judged too costly to pursue.
“The AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernández. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine,” the AIFF said.
The fact that the AIFF had also received an application allegedly from Guardiola had not been previously publicised. Manolo Marquez left this month to take a new position as coach of FC Goa, an Indian Super League team, and India is looking for a replacement.
After reviewing 170 applications, the AIFF technical committee first reduced the list to 10 and then shortlisted three unnamed applicants. In time for this autumn’s AFC Asian Cup qualifying, an appointment has been scheduled.
“Given the immediate needs of the national team, it is advisable to recommend three coaches from the shortlisted pool for final consideration,” the AIFF said. “Other prominent applicants, many of whom are highly qualified international coaches, will be taken into account for long-term strategic roles in the future.”
According to the Times of India, the three possibilities are former Slovakian manager Stefan Tarkovic, twice-previous India manager Stephen Constantine, and former international player Khalid Jamil.
Prior to hiring Márquez, the AIFF fired Igor Stimac in June of last year. India, currently ranked 133rd in the world, lost in the second round of the World Cup 2026 qualification tournament.