Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to drive Indian football’s transformation | Football News – Times of India

PANAJI: Arsene Wenger held lengthy discussion with top All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials in Sydney on Saturday and confirmed that he would visit India in October to finalise the setting-up of a state-of-the-art centralised academy for under-13 boys and girls.
Known as Le Professeur for his meticulous approach to the game, the former Arsenal manager is now head of FIFA’s Global Football Development. He met AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and secretary Shaji Prabhakaran for more than an hour, in the presence of FIFA technical director Steven Martens and Ulf Schott, head of FIFA’s High-Performance Programmes.
“We discussed several ideas that could transform Indian football,” Chaubey told TOI after the meeting. “First, we had to identify the reasons why we haven’t made the big move. Is it the lack of physical ability? Is it the weather where we have hot and humid conditions, or is it the absence of a winning mentality? We also discussed the technical ability, which is not so superior when we control the ball under pressure or keep the ball on target (while shooting).”

Wenger and his team suggested to AIFF that the players need to be groomed technically around the age of 12 and said a benchmark needs to be set where they can get coaching of a high standard.
The under-13 central academy, a collaboration between FIFA and AIFF, is the first step towards this new beginning.
“For the first time, FIFA will provide two coaches to India. While one will be full-time at the central academy, which will have 25 children, the other will travel across the country to spot and nurture talent at academies,” said Chaubey.
Wenger, who won the Premier League three times with Arsenal, will speak to Indian media about his plans for the country next month. He is expected to arrive here in the second week of October and hold talks with the ministry of sports.
“Arsene’s visit to India will be pathbreaking and motivate the Indian football community. When he speaks, on behalf of FIFA, people listen. We will need government and corporate backing so that infrastructure and finance is not an issue in our aim to take Indian football forward,” said Chaubey, a former India goalkeeper.

(AI image)
During his trip to India, Wenger — among the longest-serving and most eminent coaches in English top-flight history — will also hold talks with a group of corporates who have contributed to the sport in the past and believe that India can be a football-playing nation.
“We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming Arsene Wenger to India for this very important project,” said Prabhakaran, AIFF secretary general. “I have no doubt that he will have a significant impact on developing elite players in India, and we can safely say that his joining hands to produce top talents in India means that the professor is convinced about our country’s potential.”