I-League champions Aizawl FC appoint Portuguese Paulo Menezes as Head Coach

Paulo Menezes has joined newly crowned I-League champions, Aizawl FC for the 2017/8 season as their new Head Coach.

Paulo was part of the coaching setup which masterminded the triumphs of the invincible Spanish National Team in the Confederations Cup, FIFA World Cup and European Championship during its golden era (2013 to 2016).

"When my representatives, Trebol Sports International informed me about this opportunity, I did not even think twice about it. I have learnt about Indian football since 4 years ago and I have spoken to many people about it and how much it has grown over the years. I want to be part of this and Aizawl FC is right at the heartbeat of this crescendo of development."

The 39-year-old Portuguese acknowledged that Indian clubs have improved a lot during the past few years but in order to reach the pinnacle, they need to to adopt the organizational structure of a European club.

"Clubs must be receptive to the idea of developing many departments- scouting, marketing and the most important thing, a youth academy. I believe that in order to be the best club in the country or this region, it is a must to build a strong academy. From the junior to the senior teams, they must adopt the same game model and tactical system so that there is consistency of play throughout all levels. The assimilation of youth players to a senior level will then become a seamless process."

As a former Vicente del Bosque's coaching staff, it is no surprise that Paulo adopts the same football philosophy as the fearsome La Roja.

"I will like my players to play the offensive game with a high level of ball possession so that they can create many scoring chances. Depending on the game situation, we will vary the tempo of our attack but the main focus is on ball rentention."

Besides plans to impose his Model of Game on the team and improve the club footballing structure, the former World Cup winner is also interested in developing the capabilities of the local players.

"I will like to help the players improve their skills- be it technically or tactically, so they can become more competitive and maintain a strong mentality before and during the game. I believe I can contribute to Indian football by getting as many of the local players into the National Team as possible. I derive an immense sense of pride whenever I see my players put on their national colours."

Pending his visa approval, Paulo is expected to arrive in Aizawl early next week to assume his new role.