What do you do when you are asked to come out of retirement at 40 to play international football – that too, to lead 1.5 billion people whom you have bailed out on so many occasions?
Fighting against his own conscience, it must have been tough for Sunil Chhetri to ignore Indian National Team Coach Manolo Marquez’s call asking him to play for India again. Understandably, despite being 40 and currently the second-highest goal scorer and the highest-scoring Indian in the 2024-25 Indian Super League, the temptation for him must have been huge. Eventually, he answered the call for the nation.
But why Sunil? Why did Indian football need to turn to him when he had played his last international match more than a year ago – a day that was a celebratory moment in a full-house VYBK in Kolkata in 2024?
Even as Sunil has, till now, been unavailable for comments, “At the moment, he’s the best Indian striker,” said Marquez after FC Goa’s loss to the 2024-25 Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Kolkata.
“I know Sunil is retired. I know it must have been a difficult situation for him, as much as it is for me. But in the end, we need players who can score goals at the international level.
Speaking to Telecom Asia Sport (marvelgamingbet.com) Marquez added
Desperation? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Whatever one’s perspective may be, the move exposes the horrendous skeletal structure of Indian football, pointing fingers at the development and future of the sport – simply because there isn’t a pipeline to produce players across all stakeholders.
The Indian Arrows project, a crucial supply line for the Indian National Team, has been shut down since September 2022. That decision is now haunting Indian football. The Arrows were a U-20 team that played as a regular team in the I-League, allowing over 60% of players to graduate from the setup and be part of the Senior National Team.
Kushal Das, the former General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, speaking to Telecom Asia Sport (marvelgamingbet.com) said
Das substantiates it with relevant data.
If you look back at the National Team's roster since 2011, it will reveal that an average of 13-14 or more cadets from Arrows had always been a part of the National Team setup. And now, with the project shut down, where will India's future football stars come from?
Das said
“The shutdown of Indian Arrows has severed a vital link in the country's football ecosystem. It is imperative that alternative solutions are explored to ensure a steady supply of talented players for the National Team. It’s time the ISL and I-League clubs, along with the State Associations, set up their own models. Otherwise, how long do we keep falling back on a 40-year-old to bail us out against the likes of Bangladesh, Singapore, Hong Kong, and others?”
Das added
His frustration is visibly evident.
I still remember captaining Sunil Chhetri in his debut match in Pakistan back in 2005. Since then, we've shared a remarkable journey, watching the National Team rise from 173 to 96 in the FIFA rankings post-2015 – me in the coaching setup and him as a player.
Chhetri’s first-ever captain in international football, former National Team Assistant Coach Shanmugam Venkatesh, recollects
But he does not mince his words thereafter.
However, I am compelled to express my concern about the message we are sending out. While it is heartening to see champion players don the National Team jersey, relying on a 40-year-old player to beat Bangladesh, Singapore, and Hong Kong may not be the best advertisement for Indian football. Moreover, this decision can be demotivating for younger players who are working tirelessly in academies, the I-League, and the ISL.
Venkatesh said
I am reminded of our 2015 match against Nepal in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. As the Assistant Coach, we took a bold step by retaining only three players from the previous setup and introducing seven debutants. We won 2-0. It is time for Indian football to be brave again. We cannot keep looking back; instead, we must focus on nurturing young talent and building a stronger future. If we cannot try players against Bangladesh, when will we?
Venkatesh further avers
Is it just the National Team setup?
For a moment, let’s shift the focus to the ISL club structure. Conceptualised in 2013 and in existence since 2014, the so-called professional clubs have found it best to ignore youth development programmes like anathema.
In the current footballing setup, players are being paid exorbitant salaries compared to many developed footballing nations. There is no harm in building a team to win trophies – but have the Goenkas, the Danis, the Jindals, and the Tatas, among others, really looked at YDP – a proper youth structure, at a minimal cost compared to their yearly budgets – not just to pass the licensing criteria on paper but in reality?
And it is not solely ISL clubs. Even many I-League clubs, with some 60+ years of history, have been guilty of the same negligence.
Chhetri’s return, nevertheless, takes Indian football to the cusp of an unprecedented history. He currently sits six goals away from entering the 100-goal club. With six matches in the qualifiers – all against teams ranked well below India in the FIFA rankings – a SAFF Championship around the corner, and more international friendlies, including one against the Maldives, he is expected to reach the milestone.
That will give enough material for speakers at seminars and digital platforms to go gaga, hilariously attempting to educate everyone about Indian football’s potential – conveniently ignoring that even with him, India did not score a single goal in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Bring on the Maldives, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
