Nicolai Adam on Tuesday officially vacated his position as coach of the U-17 national football team following weeks of uncertainty after reports that a few members of the team had accused the German of abusive behaviour.
The AIFF on Tuesday issued a statement that the separation was by mutual consent and thanked Adam for his services. “We are grateful to Nicolai for his services towards development of the Indian U-17 National Team and wish him all the best for his future endeavours,” said Kushal Das, the general secretary of the AIFF.
“The process of selecting a new national coach for the U-17 national team has already been initiated. We shall appoint a replacement very soon and also hope to get the desired results,” he added.
Adam, who had taken charge of the team in April 2015, said: “I am grateful to AIFF for giving me the opportunity to serve as coach of the Indian U-17 national team. I wish all the bright young talent the very best.”
The AIFF had reportedly asked Adam to resign following the serious allegations raised by the members of the team. The AIFF had then denied the reports with India’s sports minister Vijay Goel declaring that his department would have a final say about the coach’s future with the U-17 national team, which is preparing for the World Cup to be hosted in India later this year.
The German was said to be negotiating a severance agreement with the football body, which led to a delay in his official departure.
The team has been on a poor run under Adam, having lost three tournaments in the last one year. The team resumed training in Goa on Tuesday following a week-long break.
The team is being looked over by outgoing technical director Scott O’Donnell for a week and then will be managed by former Salgaocar and India player Savio Mediera, before an official replacement takes over.
