Coach Nicolai Adam plans four exposure trips before 2017 U-17 football WC

New Delhi: Newly appointed German coach Nicolai Adam on Thursday said that he plans at least four foreign exposure trips for the football team as part of preparations for the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup, to he hosted by the country.

Addressing his first press conference after taking charge as head coach of the India Under-17 team this month, Adam said he has enough time to prepare a strong side for the prestigious FIFA event to be hosted by India.

"It would have been better had there been more time. But I think two-and-a-half years time is also enough. I am satisfied with what (the players) I have seen," he said.

"The challenge is to prepare a team in the next two-and-a-half years for the World Cup. We are ready to face the difficulties head on, if they arise," added the 42-year-old coach.

The FIFA 2017 Under-17 World Cup is expected to be held in October-November. India bagged the right to host the Under-17 World Cup in December 2013, but Adam said he got just 20 players with him and would need a bigger pool of footballers.

"I have 20 players, including three goalkeepers at my disposal in the AIFF Training Centre in Goa and we will have to scout for players," Adam said.

"The 20 players were chosen by me after taking charge and I will take them to Germany in the first week of June in the first exposure trip. We will have four such trips and we will be playing AFC qualifiers in September in India. That should give us enough exposure for U-17 World Cup," he said.

"In between, we will continue our preparation in Goa," he added. Adam, an UEFA pro licence holder, who has served as head coach of Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 national teams of Azerbaijan, said that he will scout for players.

"I will have to try the 20 players in Germany first and plan the next course of action. I will scout for players after the Germany trip. Later on, we will have to find players position-wise also," he said.

"Obviously, we need more players and the scouting process is a constant progress. The door to the national team is always open and wherever there is a ball rolling, played by players born in the age-group, my team or myself would be there."

He said the Indian team will play five competitive matches, including against their counterpart age-group sides of TSG Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Germany.
Asked when will he finalise a core group of players for the tournament, Adam said, "One year before the tournament is good enough to select the core team and then we will go for the final preparation."

Adam said he took up the India Under-17 coach as he wanted new challenges. "I was the coach of Azerbaijan Under-19 team for five years. I wanted a new challenge and there was also a good offer from the AIFF. So, I came here to be India Under-17 coach," he said, adding that he had been to India earlier in 2005, though as a mere tourist.