AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: National Coach Stephen Constantine was recently featured on the Official Website of one of the most historic teams in the National Football League, the Oakland Raiders.

It was in September 2015 that the National Coach travelled to the United States where he is “planning to take the Indian National Team to play some exposure games.”

An avid fan of the Oakland Raiders, the Coach was given a Tour around the Raiders training complex and met with the strength and conditioning Coach Joe Gomes.

Constantine, a die-hard fan of the Raiders was featured on the Website stating that ‘someday’ he hoped to bring his Team to California to play a series of Friendlies, including against the Republic FC at Bonney Field.

To view the complete article, please click on http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Indias-National-Soccer-Team-Coach-Visits-Raiders-During-NorCal-Trip/35b7c1f2-bff8-46d3-92d7-52c5785aa5ee

While in California, Constantine met with an old  friend Graham Smith Director of The Sacramento  Republic FC  and watched Republic FC and the San Jose Earthquakes train and play in their respective matches during his visit to the US.

Graham Smith the Director of Football for the Sacramento Republic, and Ranbir Shergill from Ventura County Fusion were instrumental in coordinating the trip.

Speaking to www.the-aiff.com about his experience, Constantine thanked the duo for making the trip possible.

“I would like to thank Mr. Graham and Mr. Ranbir, without whose help I would not have been able to plan this trip, and meet a number of people that I met,” Constantine said. “I would personally like to thank the Oakland Raiders for giving me the Tour of the training facility.”

Speaking about the “possibility” about the National Team playing a series of matches, Constantine mentioned that it’s “still in preliminary stages.”

“I am very excited about the possibility of taking an Indian National Team to California. I feel the trip will be extremely beneficial for development of the National Team Players. But at the moment it’s still in the preliminary stages,” he added.