Englishman Steve Coppell was named the head coach of the new Indian Super League franchise owned by Tata Steel. Coppell, who helped Kerala Blasters to the final of the tournament last season, left the Kochi-based franchise as he was approached by the newest entrant of the ISL.
Tata Steel, which is arguably the largest conglomerate owning the franchises in the ISL, is yet to decide on the nomenclature of its team but announced the name of the chief coach as the tournament regulations stipulated July 15 as the last date of picking up the coaching staff. The Jamshedpur-based outfit also announced the signing of former India international Ishfaq Ahmed as the assistant to Coppell. Having worked with Coppell in the same post in the previous season with Kerala Blasters, Ahmed became the natural choice to be Coppell’s deputy in the new assignment.
Coppell, a former Manchester United midfielder and England World Cupper, has previously managed a host of English clubs including Bristol City, Manchester City, Brentford and Crystal Palace in a coaching career spanning more than three decades.
“Tata Steel has a long and enduring commitment to sports, especially football. Our foray into ISL is in line with the commitment to develop Indian football. Jamshedpur Football Club’s association with Steve Coppell and Ishfaq Ahmed is yet another step in this direction,” said T.V. Narendran, managing director of Tata Steel India and South-East Asia.
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