The AIFF's national team director had told the Times of India that Xavi's name had appeared among the applicants - with a technical committee member claiming he was considered too expensive.

India's football federation said applications for the national team's head coach role claiming to be from Pep Guardiola and Xavi were "not genuine."

A top AIFF official had claimed that celebrated Spanish footballer Xavi Hernandez was among the applicants for India men team's coach's job.