The AIFF's search for a new head coach took a bizarre turn with a fake application from "Xavi Hernandez." A 19-year-old student confessed to creating the hoax email using ChatGPT.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently posted a job advert on Instagram, seeking a new Head Coach for the Senior Men’s National Team. Days later, headlines exploded when a national newspaper quoted Subrata Paul, Indian football's director and former national goalkeeper, claiming that legendary Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez had applied for the position. Paul confirmed to the press that Xavi’s application had landed in the AIFF’s inbox, although the technical committee soon dismissed the prospect, citing financial impracticality.
International media jumped on the story, with renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano broadcasting to millions that Xavi’s candidacy was real but ultimately rejected due to AIFF’s limited resources. Social media soon followed, flooding the internet with memes and reactions to the surreal news that a football great even considered coaching India.
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Prank
Behind the scenes, however, it is claimed to be a ruse. A 19-year-old student from VIT Vellore claimed responsibility for initiating the hoax. He revealed to The Telegraph Online that he generated a fake email account—xaviofficialfcb@gmail.com—and used ChatGPT to draft a letter impersonating Xavi Hernandez, expressing interest in the India job. The student sent this message to the AIFF on both July 4 and 5, but attached no credentials or CV. Screenshots of the emails, shared by the student, quickly circulated online.
Questions about the email’s authenticity arose within a day, as associates of Xavi categorically denied he or his representatives had contacted AIFF. Speculation grew that the federation itself may have used Xavi’s name to generate buzz, although no evidence surfaced to support this.
Fake Application From Pep Guardiola
Adding to the confusion, another social media user posted what appeared to be a fabricated job application from Pep Guardiola. Responding to the growing scrutiny, the AIFF released a statement acknowledging that it had received emails in the names of both Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola, but could not verify their validity. The federation confirmed the applications were fraudulent.
"The AIFF received an e-mail furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the e-mail applications were not genuine," the AIFF said in a statement
The student prankster clarified that, while he authored the Xavi application, he was not responsible for the Guardiola impersonation.
Currently, the Indian men’s national football team remains without a head coach after July 2, and sits at 133 in the FIFA World Rankings, still searching for credible leadership amid the aftermath of this unusual episode.
