STEPHEN! CONSTANTINE
His football odyssey
SOME people might feel the pressure of being the football manager of a country with a population of more than 1.3 billion, but Stephen Constantine has the experience to take it in his stride.
In fact, the English coach is in in second spell as manager of the India national team. He first took the reins from 2002 to 2005 and then returned for a second stint in 2015.
But this football nomad hasn’t just been an international manager with India. He has also led Nepal, Malawi, Sudan and Rwanda.
London-born of Greek-Cypriot descent, Constantine has also been a club manager in Cyprus, first-team coach at Millwall and worked in the academy at Bournemouth. Oh, and he played football in the United States.
Constantine has packed plenty into his 56 years and enjoyed a journey that is certainly unique.
“The best thing is being able to play,” he said. “The second best thing is being a coach and manager.
“I played in Cyprus and then the US for about ten years, up and down the east coast. There were some very good players, but it didn’t have the MLS or professional leagues at the time – the NASL had just died a death.
“I wasn’t making big money or playing at the top level. I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament playing football at the age of 28 and I had already done some of my coaching badges, so I thought ‘I’m going to start coaching’.
“I’ve been quite fortunate to have gone to some of the places I have in the world. I’ve also been working for FIFA for 19 years as a coach educator.
“My career has taken me all over the place and I’ve learned a great deal. I bring quite a bit to the table in terms of worldwide experience.”
If Constantine was a shrinking wallflower, he wouldn’t have had the opportunities that have come his way. He’s had to build a reputation that would win him admirers. “Last year my book (From Delhi to the Den) was published and when I read it back I thought to myself ‘who is this guy?’,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it looking back, some of the situations I’ve been in.
“I’m a people person, I get the best out of the people around me, everyone around me. I’m completely obsessed with what I do and that makes me a pain in the backside at times – I want things done the right way.
“Let me give you an example from when I was in charge of Sudan. I wanted to introduce ice-baths to help the players’ recovery, but the players said ‘we don’t do that here’. After two days, we’d got them into cool water and later in the week we added ice cubes. By the end of a week, I’d convinced them to get into ice baths.
“One day we couldn’t get the ice. By the time we’d got it, it had melted. The players were com- plaining ‘Where’s the ice?’.
Right now, Constantine is fully focused on his job with India and the little matter of the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in January. India failed to qualify in 2015, so it’s a welcome return to the limelight this time around.
India won four, drew one and lost one of their six Group A games in qualification to reach the finals, further signs of their rapid improvement under Constantine that has seen them surge from 173rd to 97th in the FIFA world rankings.
In the finals, India kick off against Thailand (121) on January 6, face the hosts UAE (81) on January 10 and round off their Group A campaign against Bahrain (113) on January 14.
“Qualifying for the Asian Cup is massive for Indian football at this time,” he said. “Before I arrived, the country had
gone through quite a difficult time.
“I think we’ve done well over the last few years, especially the way we’ve introduced quite a lot of young players. I’m a big believer in youth systems and the academies, and giving young players a chance.
“We needed to do that in India – we had quite an ageing squad. It was pleasing in our last game against China (a 0-0 away draw) that we had six U23s playing in the game and four U20s in the squad. I think that bodes well for the future.”
So what does he think of their chances in the United Arab Emirates?
“In their last finals eight years ago, India didn’t score a goal,” he said. “I’m sure we’re going to do better than that. I really think we have half a chance to qualify out of our group in third place.
“We are a difficult team to beat when we play well, but it depends if we can put three games together in ten days. Thailand are a very good side, UAE are the hosts and Bahrain are a difficult side. “We can get four points and that might get us third place (the top two teams in each of the six groups qualify for the knockout stages plus the four best third-placed teams). It’s our target and we are going to go for it.” A positive performance would give the burgeoning game a boost. “The potential is huge,” explained Constantine. “It’s a question of developing players. In the last five years, the Indian Super League has raised the amount of publicity and awareness. There are games on every day. “With managers like John Gregory (Chennaiyin), Steve Coppell (ATK) and David James (Kerala Blasters), there’s quite a British flavour to it. “It’s a young league and it’s going to take time before we can say it’s in the top leagues in Asia, but you have to start somewhere. The potential is there, but realising it is another story. The big thing is coach education. The country needs to develop Indian coaches and produce the players. “If you have the coaches, you will produce the players. It will take some time, but they are on the right road.” As for himself, Constantine is unsure where his football journey will take him next. His contract with India finishes at the end of January and how they perform in the Asian Cup could go a long way to deciding what happens next. And having seen the ups and down of football in his lengthy career, Constantine is keeping all his options open – including his longheld wish to manage in the Football League.
“I was born and brought up in England and had trials with Chelsea and Millwall as a kid,” said the Arsenal fan. “When I can, I come back home.
“As a manager, I haven’t had the opportunity to manage in England for a, b and c reasons, but I feel I have a good deal to offer the Football League with my experience and background.
“I miss club football and the day-today involvement. If England is an option, brilliant. I really would like to manage in England one of these days and am sure I would do well wherever I went.
“Sometimes people say to me ‘you should feel upset you haven’t had a chance in England’, but I’m okay with it.
“My approach to football is holistic, and I know the Football League well. It’s not like I can’t speak the language or don’t know the clubs. I keep tabs on things.”
What Constantine would like is for someone to look outside the box, like he has been prepared to do in his football odyssey.
“In some cases chairmen know certain managers and it’s almost ‘better the devil you know’,” he explained. “I think that’s why we sometimes see managers on the merry-go-round, don’t do well at two, three or four clubs and still get positions.
“We are a bit insular in England and people may not know or understand what I’ve done, but all I ask is that I’m given an opportunity at some point.
“Perhaps there is someone out there who thinks ‘maybe this guy has something to offer’. If that’s the case, I will show everyone what I’m capable of.”
Constantine is convinced that opportunity will come his way, a positive attitude enhanced by his adventures in world football.
“Having been to some of the places I’ve been to and dealt with the problems, I can see that sometimes in England we don’t realise how lucky we are,” he added. “What I have really taken from my experiences is to never say you can’t, you will find a way.”