PANAJI: Nearly 14 years ago, when Vinay Menon walked into the dressing room of one of the richest football clubs in London, it was his first tryst with football and Britain. From a small village of Cherai near Kochi to be a part of Chelsea FC’s backroom staff and then to the world number one ranked Belgium national team, Menon has had an exciting and eventful journey as wellness consultant and coach.
His mantra has been simple. “My job was to help players relax and make the dressing room more enjoyable,” said Menon, who has now taken up an advisory role with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for global collaborations. “As a football professional and backroom staff, reaching the World Cup (with the Belgium team at FIFA 2022) is the epitome of the pyramid, that too, to represent the world’s top-ranked side,” Menon told TOI during a recent holiday to Goa.
Drogba first to embrace Menon’s methods
Panaji: Wellness consultant and coach Vinay Menon (49), who has taken up an advisory role with AIFF for global collaborations, has rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s best footballers — from Didier Drogba to Mo Salh and Eden Hazard to Kevin De Bruyne — and is a trusted friend to many superstars. For a country of over 1.4 billion people, the 49-year-old is the only Indian to have achieved such feats.
But wherever he has gone, one thing has been constant. Why does the most populous country have such a lowly-ranked football team that isn’t even among the top 100?
“I’ve had many deep conversations with players. They want to help and develop football. I think some famous names can come here and motivate the kids,” said Menon, who himself tumbled into the world of football while working in Dubai.
“In India, you need to convince the parents first that it’s not just engineering, medicine and government jobs that will give you the money. There has to be a reassurance that sports is another profession, not just a medium to get admission in engineering colleges. If you are talented, you will earn more than double in a short time,” said Menon.
It was while working in Dubai as a wellness consultant that Menon was slowly pulled into the world of football. A long-time client and relative of Chelsea’s former owner, Roman Abramovich, asked him whether he would move to London. “I had no idea that Abramovich was a Russian billionaire and owned Chelsea FC,” said Menon. “I didn’t have any idea of world football, so this was a completely new world to me.”
In this new world, it was star striker Drogba who first embraced his new methods. Once the Chelsea legend gave the thumbs up, other players warmed up to his ideas. Soon enough, he became an integral part of the team, a journey that brought with it unparalleled success that includes two UEFA Champions League trophies and three Premier League titles.
“Part of my work as a wellness coach is to help the players relax. When people relax, they open up, and when you reflect on the problem, there’s bound to be a solution. The solution should always come from your own space. You have to see what is best for yourself. I work to make the dressing room more enjoyable,” said Menon.
His mantra has been simple. “My job was to help players relax and make the dressing room more enjoyable,” said Menon, who has now taken up an advisory role with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for global collaborations. “As a football professional and backroom staff, reaching the World Cup (with the Belgium team at FIFA 2022) is the epitome of the pyramid, that too, to represent the world’s top-ranked side,” Menon told TOI during a recent holiday to Goa.
Drogba first to embrace Menon’s methods
Panaji: Wellness consultant and coach Vinay Menon (49), who has taken up an advisory role with AIFF for global collaborations, has rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s best footballers — from Didier Drogba to Mo Salh and Eden Hazard to Kevin De Bruyne — and is a trusted friend to many superstars. For a country of over 1.4 billion people, the 49-year-old is the only Indian to have achieved such feats.
But wherever he has gone, one thing has been constant. Why does the most populous country have such a lowly-ranked football team that isn’t even among the top 100?
“I’ve had many deep conversations with players. They want to help and develop football. I think some famous names can come here and motivate the kids,” said Menon, who himself tumbled into the world of football while working in Dubai.
“In India, you need to convince the parents first that it’s not just engineering, medicine and government jobs that will give you the money. There has to be a reassurance that sports is another profession, not just a medium to get admission in engineering colleges. If you are talented, you will earn more than double in a short time,” said Menon.
It was while working in Dubai as a wellness consultant that Menon was slowly pulled into the world of football. A long-time client and relative of Chelsea’s former owner, Roman Abramovich, asked him whether he would move to London. “I had no idea that Abramovich was a Russian billionaire and owned Chelsea FC,” said Menon. “I didn’t have any idea of world football, so this was a completely new world to me.”
In this new world, it was star striker Drogba who first embraced his new methods. Once the Chelsea legend gave the thumbs up, other players warmed up to his ideas. Soon enough, he became an integral part of the team, a journey that brought with it unparalleled success that includes two UEFA Champions League trophies and three Premier League titles.
“Part of my work as a wellness coach is to help the players relax. When people relax, they open up, and when you reflect on the problem, there’s bound to be a solution. The solution should always come from your own space. You have to see what is best for yourself. I work to make the dressing room more enjoyable,” said Menon.
