New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Russian coach Andrey Chernyshov emphasised the need for India to work extensively in youth football and with children, and to bring in good coaches into the Indian setup to improve the quality of the sport in the country.

Chernyshov is currently the manager of defending Super League Kerala champions Kannur Warriors, having taken over as coach ahead of the third season's start on September 25. The 58-year-old has played for and worked with European and Russian clubs, including Russian giants Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Moscow.

"This is not just in India but in places like Russia, Serbia, Macedonia and Kuwait too. The solution is to target youth football. This is a must in Indian football and in many other countries. You need to work very professionally with the kids. You know, you must have good coaches at this level," he told IANS in an exclusive interaction.

He pointed out the rise of Japan and South Korea in the sport, highlighting how they have built academies and brought in coaches from Europe. "Football in Japan or South Korea 30 years ago was at a similar level to what it is in India, Iran, Kuwait and other Asian countries.

"But after that, they started to build many good football academies. They brought in many good coaches from Europe, like from Spain, Portugal, Serbia and Croatia, and then they also brought in good foreign players, which is also important, but they built many good academies.

"India must start to work very well with the kids and needs to bring good coaches. It can be Indian coaches too, but they must understand how people are working in good academies in Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Germany, and France. Coaches must be good in youth football. This is very important; if kids start to work very well, then when they come into professional football, they are ready for that. I think this is the biggest problem, and it is not only in Indian football but in many countries," he said.

Chernyshov has led Mohammedan SC to win their first Calcutta Football League title in 40 years, guiding them to the 2021 title, the 2021 Durand Cup final, and the I-League 2021-22 final, before helping them win their maiden I-League title in 2023-24.

He now gears up for the 2026 season with defending champions Kannur Warriors, who will open their SLK campaign against Thrissur Magic, which Chernyshov coached last year.

--IANS

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