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.
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.
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 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.
