Indian Women’s Football Freefall: Five Coaches in Five Years, Sixth on the Way
The AIFF has decided not to extend Amelia Valverde’s contract, making her the fifth head coach of the Indian women’s football team in five years — and the search for a sixth is already underway.
The Costa Rican was handed charge as recently as January 2026, barely six weeks before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. India’s campaign was brutal — a 2-1 loss to Vietnam, an 11-0 hammering by eventual champions Japan, and a 3-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei. Three games, zero points, 16 goals conceded.
The AIFF Technical Committee, chaired by IM Vijayan, concluded that “expectations were not met” and cited Valverde’s use of multiple formations across the three matches as a key concern — a remarkable criticism given she had just six weeks of preparation time.
The committee has also recommended considering Indian coaches as future options for the role.
The revolving door is becoming hard to ignore. Five coaches in five years, each handed an impossible timeline, then shown the exit when results disappoint. Next up for the Blue Tigresses is the FIFA Series in Kenya in April, followed by the SAFF Women’s Championship in June Olympics — both, presumably, with yet another new face on the touchline.