FIFA Media Team

Nicolai Adam, coach of the India U-17 Team who are gearing up to represent our nation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 next year, has spoken exclusively to fifa.com and discussed many a thing including the roadmap ahead, the obstacles and the Mission Eleven Million.

He stated, “My job is to prepare the millennial generation for this U-17 World Cup, which will then hopefully be a catalyst for the growth of football in India."

“After the World Cup, we want to bring football to 11 million children. From a young age and starting from scratch, kids will learn about football in youth leagues, which we will establish, as you can’t find them everywhere yet. I hope India seizes this opportunity and that everyone cooperates to make it a great event and ensure India has a footballing future. The potential and the interest are definitely there, and the excitement ahead of the U-17 World Cup is massive", he maintained.

Referring to the recently concluded BRICS U17 International Football Tournament, he exuded, "We were competitive in phases of each game. If you’re India and you only lose 1-0 to Russia or 3-1 against Brazil, that’s not bad.”

Even the German coach didn't mince his words praising AIFF president Mr. Praful Patel's vision.

"My president is a man of vision. He already has it in his head that, at some point in the future, India will host the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the World Cup itself. Now that’s obviously something for the future, but the work I’m doing here is intended to kindle that flame. However, we need to make sure that parallel structures are created in terms of coaches’ education and infrastructure.”

Read the full interview here: http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/news/y=2016/m=12/news=adam-we-want-to-bring-football-to-11-million-children-2857154.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news