U-17 football coach Nicolai set to be shown the door

New Delhi: Barely nine months before India hosts the FIFA Under-17 football World Cup, national coach Nicolai Adam is set to be shown the door after complaints of “physical abuse” by some of the players, according to sources.
It has been learnt that All India Football Federation president Praful Patel has told Nicolai, in a meeting here on Tuesday, to quit on his own or be sacked.
Sources told PTI that at least four boys have complained to Patel through their parents that Nikolai and assistant coach Etibar Nizami Ibrahimov have abused them physically which has made it very difficult for the AIFF to continue working with the duo.
Nicolai, a former Azerbaijan Under-19 coach, was appointed in 2015 as head coach to assemble a competitive Indian team to play in the Under-17 FIFA World Cup to be held in six cities across the country from October 6 to 28.
“The parents of these boys have made written complaints to Patel that the coach and assistant coach have physically abused their children on more than one ocassion. They have told Patel that assistant coach Etibar (Nizami Ibrahim) had even slapped and manhandled the boys. It was a serious issue and these boys did not even want to play in Russia,” a reliable source said.
The AIFF issued a denial on Wednesday, saying it had not sacked Nicolai but sources said it was done to ensure that the issue does not blow out of proportion and to get the resignation of the head coach in his own. Apparently the the denial was issued after the Sports Ministry, which is investing a lot of money in hosting the mega tournament, had enquired about the issue. (pti)