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IndianFootball.Com Interview: A.M. SREEDHARAN
First of all congratulations to Viva Kerala for entering into the National Football League 2007/08!
I joined Viva Kerala in September 2006. The team had lost some old players and there were only 3/4 players left in the club at the time. Individually there was only a good player in the team and that was Baba Thunde, Who had been with Dempo SC for a trial and they left him out as they thought he was not able to play at the highest level in India and we spotted him while he was playing Sevens in Kerala. The first tournament we played was the Federation Cup. We were lucky to face Mohun Bagan in the first round as from my experience (30 years of Coaching) I was able to know more about their team's weakness and strength's. We then really worked hard. I then signed two players on loan (Anil Kumar PK & Girish VM) from Kerala State Electricity Board, which later proved worthy for us. Earlier we had played in the 3rd Division held in Chalakkudy. I really thought that the team was capable of winning it. Only one team would advance to the next stage and we did manage to qualify for the next round. After that we had the 2nd Division League. I did bring in numerous players on loan and bought another foreigner for Defence (Saheed Omobalaji) to strengthen the team. We finished second in both the qualifiers and the final round and grabbed the last spot for the National Football League. Salgaocar SC were better than us and finished top. Then we had to play in the Nayannar International Football Tournament held in Kannur. We defeated teams from Nigeria and Iran and in the semifinals we thrashed State Bank of Travancore. But coming into the finals we had to face injury problems. We lost to FC Nania (Ghana) and finished as runners-up. In the state league we also had injury problems and were able to only finish third. It was a big lesson for us as continuous football matches will bring players energy level down. But after all our aim was to be in National Football League and we did manage that.
How are Viva Kerala's preparations going for the next season?
We are really looking forward to strengthen our squad for the next season. We will leave out some players from the current squad and also there will be some players leaving to other clubs. Also I hope Baba Thunde and Saheed Omobalaji will remain with us for the next season. We are also looking forward to signing players from big clubs like JCT, Mahindra United, Churchill Brothers, Tata Football Academy, etc. As three foreigners will be able to play in the NFL so we will be bringing in three quality players from outside India. The management is also very supportive to us. They are trying very hard to find sponsors and they are spending money from their pocket due to their immense interest in football.
So, after the three initial years will Viva Kerala become a team with no Kerala players?
Not anything like that. But one thing we have to understand that we have less players coming from Kerala. There is lack of good strikers in Kerala which we have seen in the Santosh Trophy. Anil Kumar was really good for us, but most probably he won't be wearing our jersey next season as he won't be getting leave from KSEB. As he is committed to KSEB there are less chances we will sign him. But we will try our best to sign good players within Kerala.
What will be Viva Kerala's aim in First Season?
We will be very cautious and our aim will be to secure a good finish in the first season. The support from the fans will also be vital in our performance. I firmly believe that still the most popular sport in Kerala is football. The downfall of the football was mainly due to its ignorance and also the uprise of Cricket here. Also media tend to focus more on Cricket rather than football. But once we start to do well then media will focus on us. While FC Kochin was doing good we had a good media coverage.
How was the Kerala Football Association's support?
It was really good. They really helped us by bringing the 3rd Division and 2nd Division matches to Kerala. If we had played match outside Kerala it would have been difficult for us to qualify for National Football League. We need support from KFA, AIFF, Media, Fans, etc to get success in future.
What happened to Kerala Police team and Kerala's dream football club FC Kochin? Both you picked from bad times and made Kerala's best team.
What is the difference between FC Kochin and Viva Kerala?
We are very cautious and commitments are only given if we are able to fulfill that. While at FC Kochin they contracted big players and in the end they were not able to provide finance to them and finally it affected the perfomance of the players. We ensure that FC Kochin's problems won't happen with Viva Kerala. We are gradually coming up as within three years we were able to reach the NFL.
How do you see the coming of the Professional League? Do you support the Professional League?
Yes I support the Professional League! Now football means really a financial commitment. There are certain norms and conditions needed to fullfill these requirements. A club need to have two coaches, administrators, fans, capacity stadium, etc. So football in India will be having a drastical change with the introduction of the Pro League.
Do you believe that Kerala players are not coming to play for Professional clubs due to the Department/institutional clubs?
Look football has changed a lot now. We are now moving out from Amateur level, in which people used to play football as an hobby and taking their career as some other profession. Now this level won't do any good for football. We have to be professional. I think by 2010 India will have a full fledged Professional system.
So what are your views on development on Indian Football?
At high level we need to have football nurseries and academies. Clubs and Football Associations should have their football academies. FIFA have promised KFA to have an academy in Kerala. Once government acquires land the procedures for the academy will start.
Has the appointment of national coach Bob Houghton done good for Indian team?
Yes it will do good for India. But the problem is that we don't have any ways by which we can get talented players. Unfortunately in schools Football or other sports are not compulsory and even there are schools were there is absence of Physical Education teachers. We should try to find talented players at young age and we need to provide them with proper training facilities through academies and then changes will happen. This system will really do good for Indian Football.
When will India play a World Cup?
See its never easy to play World Cup. FIFA has 207 recognised countries which is more than UNO's members. We are now starting to go in the right way. If we carefully plan and put everything into action we can be at World Cup eventhough it takes lot of time. I think the Professional League is a giant step towards improving the standard of our football.
Do you see more Kerala-based Football Clubs coming into National Football League in coming years?
It will be really good to see that. But the problem with Kerala football is that more clubs are of Department type. But I heard that from Kozhikode a football club is coming. I have an opinion that each district should have a Professional football club. There should be matches on Saturday and Sundays as we see in EPL. Then there will be lot of football fans will be there to watch the matches. In future with the coming of Pro League football will be one of the main professions here. There will a time come when parents think that football will be a better profession than any other professions.
Do you think it was right that NP Pradeep, Mohammad Rafi, K Ajayan etc left Kerala clubs?
If you look that from their angle it was a good move. They will be more secure in financial terms. When you look at NP Pradeep, Mohammad Rafi, etc they are at Mahindra United, which is now India's best club. When we have more clubs coming up in Kerala and if they are established very well these players will come back to Kerala.
What was the main reason for failure of State Bank of Travancore in the National Football League?
Which is your all time Indian XI?
I haven't thought about that. Currently there are no outstanding players within the national team. Earlier when we talked about Indian players we used to talk about IM Vijayan, Krishanu Dey, Joe Paul Ancheri, etc. But now players are not playing consistently. When they play in one tournament they won't be seen in the next tournament. Earlier we used to have a set of outstanding players. We are experimenting now and in near future we will have some outstanding players.
Who is better: IM Vijayan or Baichung Bhutia?
Both. IM Vijayan and Baichung Bhutia have different qualities. But when we compare my vote goes to IM Vijayan. But Vijayan was unlucky in his good time. There was no one to bring him upto higher level whereas Bhutia was lucky enough to play in England. People now starts to recognize him but at his good times there we no one to bring him up.
Do you still believe that IM Vijayan can be still a part of the National Football team?
Yes of course.I really believe that Vijayan had a quality to play in European League. But he didn't get enough chances when we only get opportunities we can be best. Vijayan still should have been an inspirational leader in the team but he himself thought it was enough and also he diverted his efforts more towards business and cinema industry. Maybe in future we can see him more involved in Football. The main reason why he moved away from football was his diversion from his interest.
What is our opinion on KFA suspending seven KSEB players on playing illegally Sevens?
Players nowadays play a lot of Sevens. But only a day after playing in a Kerala League match (which the team lost miserably) they played Sevens. They should have shown some loyality towards their institutional team where they get their salary. I strongly support the KFA's decision on that.
How do you rate NP Pradeep? Will Viva Kerala sign him in future?
NP Pradeep is the best player in Kerala now. He can play in any positions and will be one of the best players in Indian Football in near future.
What do you think about the failure of Kerala top strikers in the Santosh Trophy?
The players like Abdul Hakkim, Asif Saheer, etc seems to play the same style in every season. They have to try different variations and combinations to ensure that they achieve their targets. I am not saying they are bad but the players have to change their style according to the season. See, when I watched Anil Kumar at Junior level I thought he was very good. But coming to Kerala team he was never selected may be due to his poor form at that time or may be coaches might not have spotted him. But when he started to score goals for us the question was asked from many corners why he wasn't selected in the team. So it's always finding the right player for the right position and in that case I was on target.
Coming to some personal questions. Where do you hail from Kerala? How did you come to Football?
I come from Kuthuparambu (Kannur).I used to play lots of football matches in Kannur and became really close to football. At that time Kannur had lot of football grounds. While studying at SN College I was thinking to take football as my profession.
How was the family support?
It was immense. At that time I was also good in my studies so it was a bonus for me to be able to play lots of football.
Who is your favourite football player?
Ronaldinho from Brazil
Which is your favourite football country and club?
Brazil and Real Madrid.
What you have to say about the suicide of VP Sathyan?
I had Sathyan as a player at Kerala Police around eight years. At that time he was really a disciplined player. But he left Kerala Police due to some problems regarding promotion and joined Indian Bank. I always tell my boys that when you loss your character in your life everything is lost even if you are Maradona or Pele it doesn't matter. As they are famous they are lucky but Sathyan was not like that and there was no one there to advice him. These are all rumours I don't know how much truth is there or there may be some mental problems for him.
How do you see government support in Football?
See we have to change and we have to adapt a professional approach. In a developed country like USA there is no government support for players. Players tend to work hard in what life has thrown to them and they take risks. Here the situation is that Sports Councils have been providing necessary help for players but when they get free everything they tend to go lazy. I have seen people from outside are playing in Sports Council grounds where the Sports Council players are sitting idle. We usually take everything for granted but the point is that those who take risk's in life are the ones who achieved success. We have to take inspiration from players like IM Vijayan, Joe Paul Ancheri, M Suresh, NP Pradeep, K Ajayan, Mohammad Rafi, etc.They took risks and they achieved success.
Do you believe Cricket is the killing the sport of Football in India?
No I don't think like that. Cricket has now became a common sports in the world. Compared to Football it has lot of time in action. As I earlier said Ignorance of football made Cricket very much popular here. But I can ensure you that when ever a local cricket match happens there will be less people watching it. In Kerala still football is the favourite sport. It's like the old saying 'MILLIONS ARE PLAYING FOOTBALL BUT BILLIONS ARE WATCHING IT'.
What is your opinion on getting back the lost charm of Kerala Football?
We should bring back the old tournaments. We had Nehru Cup in Kochin, Kottayam - Mammen Mappillai Trophy, Thrissur - Chakolas Trophy, Calicut - Nagarji Trophy, Kannur - Sree Narayana Trophy, Trivandrum - GV Raja Trophy and in Kollam - Golden Jubilee Trophy. In these tournaments there were lot of people to watch the matches. If these tournaments are back we can bring back the glory days of Kerala Football. That's why I emphasize mainly on more professional clubs in Kerala.
What after Viva Kerala for you?
I will continue to provide my services to Indian Football in whatever way I can.
What is your opinion about IndianFootball.Com?
It is really a great service to Indian Football from you guys! I really appreciate you all on that.
All the best for your efforts!
Many thanks for this interview and we wish you all the best!
[ IndianFootball.Com interviews ] © IndianFootball.Com 2007
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A.M. Sreedharan has seen it all in his long coaching career in Kerala, the good and the bad times. Be it at Kerala Police, FC Kochin or now at Viva Kerala.
Kerala Police was one of the major football clubs in that time. We won Federation Cup twice and there were nine players in the club who represented India. It was in Kerala Police's golden years when Kerala was doing well in the Santosh Trophy. When young players play well they will be granted promotion and those people who were in the service, (Police people who had years of experience) there chances of promotion were getting dull. So the recruitment things were taken by the government and ultimately the officials lost interest in that and the club was ultimately closed.
It was mainly due to defensive lapse. They conceded more goals than they scored. They had good players but they did not opt for foregin players. I am of the opinion that without foreign players we cannot survive in National Football League. E.g. HAL, an institutional club went down in NFL due to lack of foreigners. The institutional clubs which went down from the NFL was mainly due to the absence of foreign players. In European football all the countries have clubs which have foreign players. We can also see when we look at the top scorers of the NFL, it will be a foreign player. So Indian players need to reach their standard, which we haven't attained. Now AIFF have reduced the registration of players to three so we are trying to reach that standard.