The speculation has been rife surrounding the appointment of the next Indian football team head coach but according to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), a decision in that regard will not be taken any time soon.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, who was in attendance during the announcement of a tie-up between I-League side Chennai City FC and Swiss club FC Basel, said that the football governing body has begun the process of searching but stressed that the position will not filled until April-May at least.

When asked about the appointment process following Stephen Constantine’s resignation from the post, Das said, “We will advertise for that position shortly, but we have no plans to appoint anyone before April-May.”

Constantine stepped down from the position after India were knocked out in the group stages of this year’s AFC Asian Cup. India started the tournament brilliantly with a 4-1 win over Thailand but losses against United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain ended their hopes of reaching the second round.

While talking exclusively to Hindustan Times, midfielder Anirudh Thapa earlier revealed that the players were informed of Constantine’s decision to leave his post just after their last group stage encounter against Bahrain. Thapa also said that the coach talked to all of them and said that results didn’t play a role in his decision.

“We came to know of his decision after the game. He said that he is resigning and it was not because we lost. He told us that even if we won, he would have resigned after the tournament anyway,” the midfielder said.

First Published: Feb 06, 2019 17:57 IST