Pakistan’s Head Coach Outlines Plan for Professional Football

Pakistan’s head coach Stephen Constantine has provided a blueprint to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee on establishing a football league in the country. In an interview with a news media channel, Constantine stressed the significance of a structured league and youth development.

He proposed the formation of a 12-team league as the primary step, with teams playing home and away matches, totaling 22 games. Following this, he suggested splitting the top 6 and bottom 6 teams, with the top 6 competing in another 10 games, totaling 28 to 29 games, which would qualify Pakistan for AFC tournaments.

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Constantine recommended that the premier league in Pakistan should exclude foreign players initially. Instead, he suggested that all league clubs should have youth teams focusing on players aged between Under-17 and Under-19.

He advocated for a three-year period without foreign players in the league to facilitate the development of Pakistani players. During this time, clubs would be required to have U-19 and U-17 teams, with Pakistani and foreign coaches collaborating to nurture local talent.

However, Constantine proposed that foreign players could be introduced to the league after the initial three years, but they should be under the age of 23 to ensure opportunities for Pakistani players’ development.

He highlighted the issue of foreign players occupying positions that local players should ideally fill, hindering the growth of local talent in terms of technical and tactical skills.

Constantine drew parallels with the Indian Super League (ISL), where foreign players dominate the league. He cautioned against replicating this model in Pakistan and emphasized the importance of prioritizing the development of domestic talent.

According to Constantine, a structured league is essential for nurturing players’ physical, mental, technical, and tactical abilities, which are crucial for their overall development.