De Matos wants matches with stronger national teams

Newly-appointed Indian youth football team coach Luis Norton de Matos wants foreign tours for his boys and play against stronger national sides as part of preparations for the U-17 FIFA World Cup the country is hosting in October.
"The plan is to travel to different countries for the boys to have an idea of what to expect in the World Cup. It will help them prepare in the best possible fashion. As part of the preparation, we need to play stronger teams. There is no point winning against weaker teams and winning comfortably," said de Matos, who took charge earlier this month after Nicolai Adam was sacked by the AIFF.

"The World Cup will be a different challenge. The first six weeks are extremely important as I need to know every player. We need to build the team as a whole and not just concentrate on 13-14 players. For me, the team is of utmost importance. It is 'we' and never 'I'," said the Portuguese.
Asked if he would be looking for new players, besides the boys currently training with him at the national camp in Goa, de Matos said, "Definitely. The door for players will stay open till the date of the submission of the registered list. I trust the people looking for players in India and to me they are most important people in the entire project.

"We are all working together for a cause -- the overall development of Indian football. We need to find the best possible players for the national team."
It has been just a few days he has taken charge of the team but de Matos said that he could see a lot of positive things.

"I am comfortable and also confident with the work which was done before. The boys have played so many games, there has been a scouting process in place - for sure there are a lot of positive things. My job will be to give offer my knowledge and experience to keep the positive things moving," he said.

"Every coach is different. In football there are no bad or good coaches. Obviously in the long run, results determine a coach but at the same time, you cannot ignore the work which is being done. It's understandable that every coach wants to win and I am no exception to that. I will take the positive work in my stride and work the manner that's best suited for the boys and the team."
Asked about his discussion with senior national team coach Stephen Constantine, who was with the boys prior to his arrival in India, de Matos said, "Mr. Constantine was very kind and the conversation helped me a lot. He gave me everything I need as I go forward. I appreciate his gesture.

"His support staff -- Mr. Ramos and Mr. Danny who worked with the boys have also been generous with their help, providing me all details and the data. Mr. Constantine worked with the boys for a week and his inputs were very valuable.