Stephen Constantine returns to coach Indian national football team

New Delhi: Englishman Stephen Constantine was on Friday appointed head coach of Indian men's football team, paving the way for his return at the helm of affairs for the second time.

52-year-old Constantine, who is also be the coach of the India Under-23 national team, is expected to take charge from the first week of next month.

"All India Football Federation confirms the appointment of Mr. Stephen Constantine as the Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Team of India. Mr. Constantine will also be in charge of the India U-23 National Team," the AIFF said in a release.

Constantine was India coach from 2002 till 2005, during which the national team won the LG Cup in Vietnam and finished runners-up in the Afro Asian Games. He was the head coach of the Rwanda national team before he was offered the India job.

According to sources, Constantine will get significantly lower salary than what his predecessor Wim Koevermans was getting. Dutchman Koevermans reportedly got around USD 20,000 per month before he left the job recently after a just over two-year stint.

The name of Constantine, who has coached the national teams of Nepal, Malawi and Sudan, besides Rwanda, was recently cleared by the AIFF Technical Committee headed by former captain Bhaichung Bhutia.

He got the nod ahead of former New Zealand coach and India Super League franchise side NorthEast United FC coach Ricki Herbert mainly due to his earlier Indian experience.

The Englishman guided the Africans to their highest-ever world ranking of 68 in last month's FIFA Rankings.