Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Interested in taking over as the technical director, Spanish football manager Juan Manuel Lillo watched the Indian team practice at the Ambedkar Stadium here Tuesday for the first round World Cup qualifiers later this month against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 45-year-old Spaniard, who is the youngest to manage a La Liga club, spent a couple of hours at the stadium and exchanged pleasantries with national coach Armando Colaco.

Lillo was accompanied by officials of Reliance-IMG, who have the marketing and telecast rights of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Reliance-IMG have been entrusted with the task of recruiting a technical director for the AIFF.

AIFF secretary general Kushal Das said that Lillo wanted to see the team practising to have a feel of things.

“He came on a one-day trip just to have a feel of things. We haven’t finalised whether he will take over as the technical director. We haven’t set a time frame to appoint one either,” he said.

Lillo, whose last managed Almeria before being sacked in 2010 following a 0-8 loss to Barcelona, was apparently impressed with the Indian team’s passing game.

Colaco told Lillo that he was trying to mould the Indian team in Barcelona’s tiki-taka style of play.

“I told him that that we were trying to play the passing game and try to keep the ball in possession,” he said.