From the Cypriot fourth division to the Indian national team, Stephen Constantine’s career has taken the scenic route. Ever since leaving his home in Cyprus with nothing at the age of 16, Constantine has been used to life on the road; his sense of adventure dwarfed only by his appetite to improve and develop those he works with.

Our Michael Yiakoumi met with India’s National team manager in Cockfosters with Tony Antoniou on his side He is currently in his second spell of managing India, having previously been in charge of Nepal, Malawi, Sudan and Rwanda – and several sides in his father’s native Cyprus to add to his incredible CV.

In Cyprus “Salamina were second to last in the Cypriot Second Division when I arrived. We won promotion and were fifth in the league the following year and beat Apoel of Nicosia, who were in the last eight of the Champions League.”

“Go back to Rwanda, they were 155 [in the Fifa rankings] when I came [in 2014]. When I left [a year later], they were 64.

“I think one of my strongest points is I get the best out of players. If you look at my most recent role, when I came to India they were 174 in the Fifa world rankings in 2015. We are now 96. We don’t have a stable league. There is no real youth development to speak of. I have one player who is a back-up goalkeeper in Norway. I don’t have the [luxury] of my players being fed and coached properly.

That yearning for fresh experience has inevitably led Constantine into a host of unique situations. He has hugged a pitch-invading prince in Kathmandu. He has been threatened with kidnap in Khartoum. He has seen the Millwall chairman tip £10,000 onto the changing room floor, and he has watched his goalkeeping coach attack a pitch invader in Congo. Many in the game allege to have seen it all, but there is no one with a better claim to such a statement than Constantine, a veteran manager of six different national sides across four continents.

Tony Antoniou with Stephen Constantine

But ‘From Delhi to the Den’ isn’t simply a tale of one man planning his next coaching expedition in another far-flung corner of the world. Constantine explores the pressures of paying the mortgage when most jobs don’t last 12 months, and the solitude of life on the road when your wife and children still reside thousands of miles away.

We hear of how qualifications are trumped by reputations, and why dealing with Football Associations isn’t exactly plain-sailing, especially with governmental interference.

Constantine’s journey – for the time being, anyway – ends up in India, where he is looking to stir the passions and enhance the professionalism of Asia’s sleeping giant. Progress has already been achieved, but nothing is finished yet.

Anyone interested in football, travel, or adventure will love this book.

Our Michael Yiakoumi with Stephen Constantine

About the Authors

Stephen Constantine has managed five national teams, which is more than any other Englishman. His first national job was in Nepal in 1999; he has since managed India, Sudan, Malawi, and Rwanda. Born in London, and raised in England and Cyprus, Constantine also spent a year as Millwall’s first team coach. He is now in charge of the Indian national team for the second time, and runs FIFA courses for coaches and players around the world.

Owen Amos, who collaborated with Stephen on this book, is a senior journalist for the BBC website. He has previously worked for BBC Radio 4 and began his career as a reporter on the Northern Echo in Darlington.

‘From Delhi to the Den’ is out now and can be bought from www.decoubertin.co.uk/Constantine, priced £12.99.

Interview with Stephen Constantine in Cockfosters