The All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Saturday that a job application attributed to former Barcelona manager and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez for the India head coaching role was a hoax.
The AIFF's national team director told The Times of India on Thursday that Xavi's name was on the list of applicants. The report also quoted an AIFF technical committee member saying the his candidacy was deemed too expensive to pursue.
"The AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine," the AIFF said in a statement.
🚨❌ Despite recent reports, zero talks took place between Xavi Hernández and Indian Federation. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Ae5boa0FKP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2025
It had not been previously reported that the AIFF had also received an application purporting to be from Manchester City manager Guardiola.
The AIFF Technical Committee said it had reviewed 170 applications for the Indian men's head coach role, narrowing the list to 10 before short-listing three candidates.
The AIFF sacked former India manger Igor Stimac in June last year before appointing Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who left the job this month and returned to his role as coach of Indian Super League team FC Goa.