Teachers' Day Special: Top 6 Indian football coaches

Syed Nayeemuddin

I would call him as Indian football’s only socialist coach. Nayeem is introverted and rarely expressed his emotions. But after knowing him for all these years and his success with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in early 90s, I must say he knew his job well.

Like Pradip da, he too was inspired by SA Rahim during his stint as a Hyderabad Police player. Old-timers say that he was one of India’s best defenders who rarely committed a foul on an opponent player. After retiring as a player, Nayeem has been an honest coach, who really cared for the players. He often explained why good food and nutrition is important for Indian players who mostly came from poor families.

Nayeem’s fabulous success with Bagan and East Bengal came at a time when both these clubs were struggling. His understanding of the game, players and his knowledge led him to a plethora of trophies.