Dutch ace Krol wants to be India's football coach

Former Holland skipper Rudi Krol has expressed interest in becoming the coach of the Indian football team, the post lying vacant since Bob Houghton's departure last month.

Krol, who led the Netherlands two the final of the World Cup in 1974 and 1978, sources said, is one of the several coaches who have applied for the chief coach's post, according to All India Football Federation (AIFF) sources.

"Rudi Krol has applied for the chief coach's post," a top source said.

The 62-year-old Krol played a key role in leading his team to the finals of two World Cups but was unfortunate to be on the losing side on both the occasions, first to Germany and later to Argentina.

The former Ajax and Napoli player represented the Netherlands on 83 occasions between 1969-83 and in 1979 finished third in the European Footballer of the Year list behind Kevin Keegan of England and Germany's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Earlier, there was speculation that former Germany coach Rudi Voeller had applied for the post but the AIFF dismissed the reports.