Englishman Houghton appointed coach of India

Bob Houghton was appointed chief coach of the Indian national football team yesterday after his name was approved by All India Football Federation President, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi. The Englishman will join the team on 20 June while the remaining members of the technical and other team officials including assistant coach, goalkeeper coach, technical director and physiotherapist will be announced separately.

Houghton played English Premier League for Fulham from 1966 to 69 and for Brighton from 1969 to 1970 before taking on coaching. He has coached top clubs of Africa, Asia, North America and Europe in his 30-year foreign experience including Al Itihad of Saudi Arabia (1985-87; 1993), Gothenburg of Sweden (1987-89), FC Zurich (1994-96) and guided Sweden's little known club Malmo to the UEFA Cup final in 1979.

Houghton coached Chinese club sides from 1997 and took the China national team to the 2002 World Cup. Last year he moved to Uzbekistan for a one-year stint as coach of the national team. He returned to China and is now coach of Super League team Shenyang Ginda. Houghton is the youngest ever coach to gain an English FA A Licence and has also authored three books. Reuters reported he is expected to cost the federation around nine million Indian rupees ($195,822) a year.

See also: Indian coach applicant doesn't notice football field (28 May)