AFC Asian Cup 2024: Record-Holding World Cup Coach Pays Visit To Indian Team During Training

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Indian football team, who has recently started their preparations in Qatar for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2024, was paid a surprise visit by former international coach Bora Milutinovic, who is known for managing five different nations at five consecutive FIFA World Cups.

Bora Milutinovic, who coached Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), United States of America (1994), Nigeria (1998), and China (2002) to five consecutive FIFA World Cups, spoke at length with Indian players ahead of their training session.

Milutinovic, who was born in Yugoslavia in the final stages of World War II, is well respected by the Balkan football community. India's Croatian head coach Igor Stimac, fitness coach Luka Radman, and goalkeeping coach Frano Srdarev welcomed him right away.

Before the India players' training sessions, Milutinovic had a lengthy conversation with them and gave them many motivational words. He then had a few direct conversations with the coaching staff. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the goalkeeper, was amazed by the 79-year-old.

"It was an honour to meet a big personality like him and listen to his words. The first thing he reminded us of the most important thing in football," said Gurpreet. "He asked us, 'What is the most important action in a game'? Then he went on to answer his own question: 'It is the next action'. That really struck deep. If you score, your next action is to defend; if you concede, your next action is to attack. It was an honour to listen to his words of wisdom."

Defender Sandesh Jhingan marvelled at the simplicity and humility of someone who has achieved so much.

"The first thing he told us was that his English was not that great, and then he proceeded to speak to us in perfect English," smiled Jhingan. "He used certain words and phrases that made a big impact on me. He told us about the importance of having a dream and following it.

"I didn't think much about it at that moment because we were about to start training, but later when I came back to the hotel to reflect on the whole thing, it really got me thinking. Speaking to him was inspiring indeed."

-With inputs from AIFF Media