Khalid Jamil is not a new name in Indian Football. He is the man who led Aizawl FC to their first-ever I-League in 2017. It's the only Northeastern side that has achieved this feat in the league. He has been a top character and he helped and developed the team to join the list of I-League winners. North East United creates history with Khalid Jamil after they appointed him as their head coach.

Currently, Khalid Jamil serves as the head coach of Northeast United. After having a successful interim stint after taking responsibility from Gerard Nus. His managerial tactics have turned the fortune wheel of Northeast United. As they went to the semi-final of the last season in ISL. After scrapping the mandatory foreign manager rule It paved the way for all the Indian coaches. With a Pro Licence, they officially take charge of an ISL team.

It is not new to see Indian managers taking over the teams in ISL mid-season but all were temporary. Khalid Jamil on the other hand is the first Indian manager to be appointed as the head coach of an ISL team.

Looking at his managerial records, he has coached the likes of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. He has been a long-term coach for Mumbai FC. Khalid Jamil joined Northeast United as the assistant coach for Gerard Nus in 2019. But Gus and the Club parting ways with each other has paved the way for Jamil. Where he steps up and takes control of the struggling team. 

Khalid Jamil is associated with the club for a long time. His permanent position at the club will surely boost the mentality of the team. The addition of new players with the likes of Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha, Lalrinmawia Ralte, Sehnaj Singh, Tondonba Singh. Joe Zoherliana, Hernan Santana, William Lalnunfela, Mohamed Irshad, Jestin George, and Mathias Coureur will surely put in a positive impact. His managerial skills will be something to look for. He and his team are all pumped to get their hands on the ISL Trophy.

East Bengal is one of Asia's biggest and most supported football clubs. In October 2020, the club was voted as the most popular football club in India on an AFC poll by its supporters.

The East Bengal Club was established on 1st August 1920 by Suresh Chandra Chaudhury along with some other dignitaries, and the club's first captain was Ramesh Chandra Sen.

The Kolkata-based club has created a lot of records and won so many trophies. The Football club was going through a tough phase as they hadn't won a major trophy since the 2013-14 season.

But, under the new Manager and coaching staff, the Red & Gold Brigade are playing good football. So, let's look at the trophies East Bengal has won in its footballing history.

East Bengal FC Trophies List

East Bengal played their first match in the 1920 Hercules Cup, which was a 7-a-side tournament that they won. They won their first-ever full tournament in 1921 and lifted the Khogendra Shield.

The Red and Gold brigade qualified for the Calcutta Football League 1st division in 1925. They won their first 1st title in 1942. Then the Kolkata-based club lifted their first IFA Shield in 1943. In 1945, East Bengal won their first double, claiming both the Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield.

From 1949-51, East Bengal became the first team to make a hat-trick of wins in the IFA Shield. In 1972, East Bengal won the Calcutta Football League, IFA Shield, Durand Cup, and Rovers Cup in a single season, becoming the first team to do so.

In 1972, East Bengal also made a record of being the first and till date, only Indian team to win the Calcutta Football League without conceding a single goal, which they again repeated in 1991.

East Bengal won its first First Division league title in 1942 and has since won it a record 39 times. They have also won eight Federation Cups, three Super Cups, a record 29 IFA Shields, the Kuladakanta Shield, and MLA CUP, alongside 16 Durand Cup titles, making the club one of the most decorated in Indian football.

Khalid Jamil has been named as the new head coach of the Indian Men's Senior Football team, as AIFF chose him over Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic from the final list. With Jamil becoming the new boss of the Blue Tigers, we present you with the stats and history of his career as a football manager so far.

Read Also: Football facts: Five managers who have coached Club and country at the same time

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒 🇮🇳

Khalid Jamil has been named the new head coach of the Indian Men's Senior Football team.

Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic were the other finalised names, but AIFF have gone for the Jamshedpur FC coach.#AIFF #IndianFootball #KhalidJamil pic.twitter.com/KrnxkQUB6F

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) August 1, 2025

Khalid Jamil stats as manager

Since retiring as a professional footballer, Jamil started his managerial career with Mumbai FC in 2009. Jamil went on to coach them for 7 years until he joined Aizawl FC in December 2016. It was with Aizawl FC where his career took a turn after leading them to a miraculous I-League title in the 2016/17 season.

After the I-League success, Khalid coached two Kolkata giants, first East Bengal in the 2017-18 season and then ATK Mohun Bagan (which is now Mohun Bagan Super Giant) in the next season.

Read Also: Every Indian Team Football Coach Since 1948

However, Khalid did not get that much success with those two Kolkata clubs, and he joined Northeast United FC as the academy head in 2019. From 2019-22, Jamil served as Assistant manager, caretaker manager and then head coach of NEUFC. After that, he spent one season with Bengaluru United.

Finally, in 2023, he arrived at Jamshedpur FC, where he showed his class as the head coach and uplifted a few young Indian talents as well. Last season under him, Jamshedpur FC reached the semi-finals of the Indian Super League as well, and Khalid became the first Indian coach to achieve that feat.

His experince and understanding of Indian football is supposed to be a ground-breaking factor for the upcoming few months of Indian football.

Data by transfermarkt. 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Committee has narrowed down the search for the next head coach of the Senior Men’s National Football Team to three candidates: Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic. The final appointment will rest with the Federation’s Executive Committee, which is expected to make its decision soon.

After Igor Stimac and Manolo Marquez's stints as the head coaches in the last few seasons, Indian football has not progressed at all. Although India managed to win the SAFF Championship 2023 under Igor, the Blue Tigers won only one match under Marquez's 8-match stint. India lost 3 games while drawing four times, in those 8 games and that made India slip to 133rd position in the FIFA World Rankings.

Read Also | How can Indian Women's Football team qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup?

The Shortlisted Candidates

Khalid Jamil

An accomplished Indian coach, Jamil is renowned for his work in domestic football, notably guiding Aizawl FC to their historic I-League title. His deep understanding of Indian football and ability to bring the best out of local talent make him a strong contender for the position. 

Khaild Jamil has the experince of managing teams like ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal FC, NorthEast United FC, Bengaluru United and Jamshedpur FC. Last season under him, Jamshedpur FC reached the semi-finals of Indian Super League as well.

As per Transfermarkt's data, Jamil has coached 219 games till now while winning 83 of them. Jamil drew 65 games while losing 71.

Read Also | Football facts: Five managers who have coached Club and country at the same time

Stephen Constantine

The Englishman is no stranger to Indian football. Constantine had two previous stints as India’s head coach from 2002 to 2005 and 2015 to 2019, during which he oversaw significant improvements in the team's performance, including qualification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

India went from 173 to 97 in the FIFA Rankings during his stint in 2015 to 2019.

Constantine just finished his stint as the head coach of the Pakistan Football team. He was seen last time in India in the 2022-23 season as the head coach of East Bengal FC. 

In the 52 matches he coached India in his two stints, Constantine won 25 of them, while losing 19 and drawing 8 times.

Read Also | Every Indian Team Football Coach Since 1948

Stefan Tarkovic

The experienced Slovak coach, best known for managing the Slovakia national team, brings a wealth of European experience and tactical know-how. His international pedigree could be influential in shaping a more competitive Indian squad.

Tarkovic just finished his stint as the head coach of Kyrgyzstan, where he won only 5 games, drew 4 and lost 9 games. However, in his managerial career, he won 32 out of 108 games, keeping a 1.18 points per game stat. 

Former Indian national football team captain Sunil Chhetri has expressed deep concern over the suspension of the Indian Super League and the future of India's footballing ecosystem.

Also Read: Jude Bellingham to miss twelve weeks after shoulder surgery in London

“The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs - not just from my club, but from other clubs as well,” Chhetri wrote on his social media handle X (formerly Twitter).

When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that’s because I was on vacation, hadn’t moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn’t been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I… pic.twitter.com/pEGyr8Sp5O

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) July 16, 2025

Worried about the future - Chhetri 

Chhetri, who plays for Bengaluru FC in the ISL, wrote on social media, “I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well.

“Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with,” he added.

There is no new agreement between AIFF and FSDL

The 2025-26 season of the ISL has been put 'on hold' as the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and organising company Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has not been renewed yet.

The Supreme Court has directed the AIFF not to enter into any new agreement with FSDL until a final decision is taken on the AIFF.

A 15-year agreement was signed in 2010

A 15-year agreement between FSDL and AIFF was signed in 2010, under which FSDL pays Rs 50 crore every year to AIFF in return for the rights to broadcast, manage and promote Indian football (including ISL and the national team).

Please stay calm - Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri appealed to all the players and support staff to maintain patience and support each other. He expressed confidence that football will resume soon. The AIFF has also said that it understands the importance of ISL, but it is compelled to follow the court's order.

Also Read: Who is Olivia Smith? Arsenal are ready to pay the most expensive transfer fee for her

“I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football – and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff – please stay calm.”

“We’ll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will,” Sunil Chhetri shared.

The Indian Super League (ISL) has consistently served as a launch pad for India’s most promising football talent. The ISL 2024-25 season was no different, with young stars lighting up the league and charting the future course of Indian football.

Here are top 5 Indian players to watch in ISL 2025.

Also Read: Highest scoring footballers of the 21st century

Indian Players to Watch in ISL 2025

1. Dippendu Biswas | Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Dippendu Biswas, 21, made 14 appearances in a star-studded MBSG line-up and carved an impact with his defensive contributions, comprising 14 interceptions and victorious tackles each, 42 duels won and 39 recoveries.

He also occasionally delivered upfront; producing a goal and two assists and was named the ISL Emerging Player of the Month for February 2025.

2. Vinith Venkatesh | Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC has a track record of producing young talent for the nation. With Gerard Zaragoza in the managerial position, one of the players who made his mark this season is Vinith Venkatesh.

The 19-year-old impressed many with his dribbling and passing ability. A passing accuracy of 80per cent alongside 191 successful passes and 9 successful dribbles in only 602 minutes makes him a great prospect for the Blues’ future. Vinith has not only got a solitary goal and two assists to his name this ISL season but has also scored twice against Mohammedan SC and once against Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup.

3. Brison Fernandes | FC Goa

Another player that has been a break-out talent this year is Brison Fernandes. From Goa’s under 18 team to being an out right starter, it has been quite a rise for Brison.

Brison has managed to impress with his dribbling and shooting capability scoring seven goals and assisting twice. The 23-year-old created 27 chances for the Gaurs and provided 25 key passes into the final third. With his direct play, the left-winger emerged as one of the most exciting young Indian players to watch this season.

4. Tekcham Abhishek Singh | Punjab FC

In only his second ISL campaign, defender Tekcham Abhishek Singh impressed with returns that saw him become the player with the third-most interceptions (47).

The 20-year-old won seven aerial duels, 17 tackles, 23 clearances, in addition to making 70 recoveries, while forming an impeccable partnership with Nikhil Prabhu, who made the most interceptions in the league in the season gone by (56).

Also Read: Top scorers in ISL history

5. Macarton Louis Nickson | NorthEast United FC

NorthEast United made it to the play-offs after three years, while most of the credits go to its foreign players like Alaaeddine Ajaraie and Nestor Albiach, a player that went under the radar is young midfielder Macarton Nickson.

With 21 appearances and a passing accuracy of 73 per cent, he has really shone under Juan Pedro Benali this season. The 21-year-old has established himself as a box to box midfielder providing both in defence and attack. 

Defensively, Macarton has 97 recoveries and 13 interceptions. In attack as well, he has been able to support by providing 2two goals, one assists and 22 successful dribbles making him a beautiful player to watch.