The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) plan of hiring a Dutch coach for the junior national team dealt with a big blow after Raymond Libregts, who was the front-runner for the post, refused to accept the federation’s offer because of poor infrastructure in the country.

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As a result, the AIFF has decided to hand over the responsibility to coach India under-23 and Pailan Arrows to Australian Arthur Papas, the head coach of AIFF’s academy at Navi Mumbai. The academy, which will resume in July after the vacation, will have a new coach.

Libregts, who was the youth team coach of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, was in India last week to have a first-hand look at the facilities here. He first went to Bangalore where the junior team camp for the under-22 Asia Cup qualifiers was held. The veteran coach then checked out the facilities at his disposal at Pailan Arrows, the I-League club he was supposed to manage. The AIFF was confident of getting him on board but Libregts was extremely unhappy with the infrastructure, especially the ground, which he felt wasn’t suitable for football. Hence, he refused to take the job.

“He hasn’t worked out of Europe and didn’t find the conditions here too encouraging. Arthur (Papas) will join the team soon and we will also appoint a new coach for the academy in Mumbai,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said.