Shameel Chembakath
Indian football manager and former player
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Shameel Chembakath (born 12 January 1986) is an Indian football manager and former professional player who played as a defender. He is currently the head coach of Reliance Foundation Young Champs U-19.[1] He previously served as the interim head coach of Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League.[2]
|
Shameel Chembakath with Hyderabad FC in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shameel Chembakath | ||
| Date of birth | 12 January 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Malappuram, Kerala, India | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Reliance Foundation Young Champs U-19 (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2003 | SAIL Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2005 | Viva Kerala | ||
| 2005–2007 | Vasco Sports Club, Goa | ||
| 2007–2008 | Mohammedan Sporting Club | ||
| 2008–2009 | Bengal Mumbai | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2016 | Prodigy Academy | ||
| 2016–2017 | Muthoot Academy | ||
| 2017–2020 |
Kerala Blasters U–15 (head coach) Kerala Blasters Reserves (assistant) | ||
| 2020–2022 | Hyderabad Reserves / U18 | ||
| 2022–2024 | Hyderabad (assistant) | ||
| 2024–2025 | Hyderabad (interim) | ||
| 2025– | Reliance Foundation Young Champs (U-19) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
After retiring from football at an early age due to injury, he started coaching career with under-15 team of Kerala Blasters in 2017.[3][4]
Playing career
Shameel started his youth career in Jharkhand by playing for the SAIL football academy in 1998. He signed first professional contract with Viva Kerala in 2004.[5] Shameel spent one year with Viva Kerala before signing for Vasco Sports Club Goa.[6] In 2007, he was signed by the Kolkata based club Mohammedan S.C..[7][8] During time with Mohammedan, he suffered hamstring injury. In 2008, Bengal Mumbai FC signed Shameel. He had been called for India national football team camp in 2007 for the Olympic qualifier competitions, but did not qualify to the final squad. He was forced to retire in 2009, aged just 23, after failing to recover from the long-term hamstring injury.[9]
Coaching career
Shameel worked as head coach of different schools across Kerala. It was in 2014 that he joined Prodigy Football Academy, which ran in partnership with Kerala Blasters Football Schools.[10][11] In 2016, Shameel signed for Muthoot Football Academy.[12] He got the AFC B Coaching License in 2017.[13][14] In the same year, Kerala Blasters decided to field their youth teams in the Hero Elite League and Shameel was appointed as the U15 head coach.[15][16] His first accomplishment came during the 2018–19 Juniors League as the U15 side of the Blasters reached the semi-finals of the tournament.[17] Later that year, he got the AFC A license.[18] Shameel also worked with the reserve team of Kerala Blasters and is known for the development of players like Sahal Abdul Samad and Mohammad Rakip.[19][20][21] The reserve side won the 2019–2020 season of the Kerala Premier League, making it Shameel's first coaching title.[22] He also got chance to work as the assistant of the Kerala Blasters senior team towards the end of the 2018–2019 regular season. He left Kerala Blasters in 2020.[23]
On 2 January 2021, it was announced that Shameel had signed a three-year deal with Hyderabad FC as the head coach of their reserve team.[24] On 6 May 2022, he was promoted as the assistant coach of the senior team.[25] On November 14 2024, he was awarded the AFC Pro License, the highest coaching certification granted by the Asian Football Confederation.[26] Shameel was appointed as the interim coach of Hyderabad on 17 December 2024, following the club's decision to part ways with Thangboi Singto.[27] On January 23 2025, Shameel Chembakath led Hyderabad to their first home win of the season. This also marked his first-ever win as a coach in the ISL.[28] On 15 June 2025, Chembakath was appointed as the head coach of the Reliance Foundation Young Champs under-19 team.[29]
Coaching statistics
- As of 28 February 2026
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Kerala Blasters Under 15 | 2017 | 2020 | 36 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 61.1 | ||
| Kerala Blasters Reserves | 2018 | 2020 | 48 | 30 | 4 | 14 | 62.5 | ||
| Hyderabad FC II | 2020 | 2022 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 46.6 | ||
| Hyderabad FC | 2022 | 2024 | 65 | 22 | 10 | 33 | 34.4 | ||
| Hyderabad FC | 2024 | 2025 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 16.7 | ||
| Reliance Foundation Young Champs | 2025 | Present | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 58.3 | ||
Honours
- Kerala Premier League: 2019–20: Winner
- 5th CEM Gold Cup: Runner-up[30]
- 3rd place, Reliance Foundation Development League: 2022[31]
- Indian Super League
- Runner-up: 2022–23
- Runner-Up – FC Madras Elite Cup U-18: 2025
As a player
- Subroto Cup: 1998, SAIL - Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya: Winner