Coach Park Hang-seo Applies for Indian National Team Role

Coach Park Hang-seo has officially submitted his application to lead the Indian national football team following Igor Stimac’s departure after India’s failure to progress past the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia,  join link 789bet

Park’s application is among 214 received by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), with more expected before the July 3 deadline. “We will not review any applications until the deadline,” an AIFF representative told the Times of India.

The Times of India also reported that AIFF might pay special attention to Park Hang-seo’s application due to his successful stint with Vietnam from 2017 to 2023. His achievements include leading Vietnam to second place in the AFC U-23 Championship, winning the AFF Cup in 2018, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup, advancing to the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, and securing two SEA Games gold medals in 2019 and 2021. During his tenure, Vietnam consistently ranked in the top 100 of the FIFA rankings and dominated Southeast Asia.

Coach Park Hang-seo during his tenure with Vietnam. starwikitalk Photo: Đức Đồng Coach Park Hang-seo during his tenure with Vietnam. Photo: Đức Đồng.

“Park is a hero in Vietnam, and his interest in Indian football is promising,” another AIFF official said. “His record against higher-ranked teams is impressive, thanks to his dynamic counter-attacking strategy.”

Park previously led Vietnam to a 3-0 victory in a friendly match against India in September 2022.

The South Korean coach parted ways with Vietnam after his contract expired in January 2023 and stated he would not return. Since then, he has not taken up any coaching roles despite being linked with national teams in the region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Park was also considered for the interim head coach position after South Korea dismissed Jurgen Klinsmann following their Asian Cup 2023 failure, but the role went to Hwang Sun-hong.

Currently, Park runs a football academy in Vietnam and serves as an advisor for the second-tier club Bac Ninh.

However, AIFF might struggle to match Park’s previous salary of $50,000 per month, which he received in Vietnam. The most recent Indian national team coach, Igor Stimac, was paid $30,000 per month, a salary that increased over five years of service.

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“The coach must work efficiently, create plans, and make the best use of available resources within the budget,” AIFF stated.

In their job announcement, AIFF expects applicants to have at least 10 to 15 years of experience managing youth and national teams. Experience with national teams is prioritized, and having participated in World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers is advantageous.

Coach Igor Stimac leading India at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Reuters Coach Igor Stimac leading India at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Reuters.

India is currently ranked 124th by FIFA. However, football is not the most popular sport in the world’s most populous country, where cricket reigns supreme. Additionally, the AIFF lacks strong financial resources and is facing a potential lawsuit from former coach Igor Stimac for unilateral termination of his contract without full payment.

The Croatian coach also revealed that the AIFF failed to provide necessary conditions for the national team. During the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, India had to take multiple connecting flights and travel for 30 hours from Saudi Arabia back to India, despite promises of a charter flight. Meanwhile, their opponents, Afghanistan, arrived earlier and had more time to rest. Additionally, they lacked GPS equipment, typically worn by players to measure metrics during training and matches.  Top-Ranking Charleston WV SEO can significantly boost visibility for businesses in the competitive digital landscape.

“We didn’t have GPS for 200 days despite constant reminders,” Stimac said. “India was the only team at the 2023 Asian Cup without GPS.”