'Target is to play attractive, attacking football next season': Khalid Jamil

Khalid Jamil has been a distinguished coach in the realm of Indian football. He is the only Indian head coach to helm the hot seat in a trade dominated by foreign coaches.

Although he moulded himself and the teams he managed as versatile units over the years, this was the first time the 47-year-old landed an extension in the top tier of Indian club football, the Indian Super League (ISL).

Jamshedpur FC, a club owned and managed by Tata Steel, renewed his contract for two years keeping him in the club until 2025-26 on Monday, showing their faith in his coaching and managing calibre.

By landing the extension, Jamil, who came on board last season, became the first Indian coach to achieve this milestone.

"Our target is just to play attractive football, attacking football," the coach told The Bridge shortly after his contract extension.

Vision for the upcoming season

Asked about his response on getting an extension at the Jamshedpur-based club, Jamil said, "Yes, I am feeling really good. It is my pleasure to coach Jamshedpur FC, and very happy to sign the contract extension and just waiting to work."

"Our prime goal is to play attractive football, attacking football," he added.

"The second objective is to work hard. Players must work very hard, work for the team because they are giving us everything," he elaborated.

Jamil also let out his plans for the next season as he strives to build a balanced squad, integrating Indians with their foreign recruits, for a club that finished second from the bottom last season with 21 points in 22 games.

“We are not going to take things lightly because last year's results were not up to the mark, but this time we will be looking for a good start," said Jamil, who took over from Scott Cooper midway through the season in December.

Jamshedpur FC are among the clubs that provided ample playing opportunities to young players in the previous ISL season.

"We must give youngsters a chance to play, especially Indian players because I have seen we have a good set of young talent in our team and even in other cubs. This will eventually help Indian football’s development too," remarked Jamil.

Reflecting on his tenure in ISL, the coach acknowledged the challenges ahead. "Challenges are there. Now that I have extended my contract the expectations are also higher. We must get good results because you are working in a good team."

“The Indian football has improved substantially since the evolution of ISL. We have seen India performing extremely well. Recently, they have put up a good show against Qatar," he said.

"They played well but unfortunately lost because of that controversial goal. We are conceding fewer goals and the players have also shown substantial improvement. Only the final result seems missing. There is a significant improvement." he added.

India should prefer experienced coach: Jamil

Asked about his opinion about the All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointing the new head coach of the Indian national team, Jamil said the federation should give preference to a coach with 'sufficient experience' irrespective of his nationality.

"Even though homegrown managers have certain advantages, the most important aspect is the advancement of Indian football. It is crucial to appoint a manager who is performing well and has sufficient experience. The decision to appoint an Indian or a foreign manager lies with the federation," he opined.

As the coach prepares for the new season with Jamshedpur FC, his focus remains unwavering.

"I want to improve this year. Last year, I was not happy with my performance because I was thinking of being in Super 6. But I did not get there. It was my mistake. I want to get a good result this time," affirmed Jamil.