Bhutia calls for systemic overhaul, urges India to follow Asian football models

Kolkata, Oct 15 (PTI) Crestfallen at national team's failure to qualify for AFC 2027 Asian Cup, former captain Bhaichung Bhutia has called on India to move away from glamorous European football models and instead emulate Asian nations such as Uzbekistan and Jordan, who have achieved consistent success with modest resources.

India crashed out of qualification race AFC Asian Cup with a 1-2 defeat to Singapore in Margao on Tuesday.

The defeat followed a 1-1 draw in the away leg. India missed out on the continental tournament for the first time since its expansion to 24 teams in 2019.

"It's very disappointing because the Asia Cup is something we should at least be qualifying for regularly. When 24 teams qualify for the Asia Cup and you still can’t make it, then it’s very, very disappointing," the 48-year-old Indian football icon told PTI in a telephonic interview.

"We keep talking about the World Cup and other big things, but if we can’t even qualify for the Asia Cup, then we are very far away from our goal." Uzbekistan and Jordan, who recently secured their maiden FIFA World Cup berths alongside Australia, Iran, Japan and South Korea, have shown what focused planning and domestic structure can achieve, Bhutia said.

"Right now, we are looking too much at models of corporate valuation, money and European football structures -- the Premier League, La Liga -- and trying to glamorise the sport," he said.

"But football has to be about football. Where are the priorities for the sport?" he asked.

"Indian football should not just copy European models or chase glamour. We should look at Asian countries like Uzbekistan and Jordan -- how they have developed and qualified regularly.

"Even with modest leagues, they have structure, they produce players, and they qualify for big tournaments. India need to study those models and not just corporatise or commercialise football." Citing the financial distress faced by century-old clubs, Bhutia pointed to Mohammedan Sporting's ongoing crisis as a symbol of misplaced priorities.

"A historic club like Mohammedan Sporting, which is over 100 years old, is on the verge of shutting down. Clubs like Mohammedan, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have millions of passionate fans across India and abroad. And yet, these clubs are struggling to even play in the league because they can't afford it.

"What happens to those millions of fans? What happens to a club that has existed for 100 years? Are we only looking at valuations and wanting to sell? "Look at Real Madrid and Barcelona. They are run through membership. It's not like the English Premier League clubs, many of which have been bought by foreign owners and turned completely commercial." People with right intent must lead ==================== Bhutia said Indian football needed a complete overhaul of its structure and leadership, stressing the need for people with honesty and intent to take charge, taking an indirect swipe at the current AIFF leadership under Kalyan Chaubey who defeated him in a lopsided AIFF polls.

"It's about intention, the sincerity of people involved with football. That’s very unfortunate right now. In India, especially in football, we need people with good intent to really work and deliver.

"First of all, we need people with the right intent, honesty and sincerity to take the sport forward. That’s very important.

"You need proper policies and vision, but if the people in charge have no idea, no intent and no commitment, then it becomes very difficult. There has to be a huge change in the entire system, structure and development programme." Long term planning ============= The former skipper called for a long-term roadmap, starting immediately, to prepare for the next cycle of major tournaments.

"We need to seriously look at how to develop the sport. After the Asia Cup qualifiers, there’s no major tournament, so long-term planning has to start now.

"For the next Asia Cup qualification, we must identify players who, in the next three years, will be at their peak.

"The new coach, whoever he is, must have a three-year plan, for the next Asia Cup and World Cup qualifiers. You have to identify which tournaments are priorities, where your best players will play, and plan friendlies and competitions accordingly.” Bhutia said smaller regional competitions should be used as testing grounds rather than being treated as targets.

"There is no credit to win CAFA, Nehru Cup, Merdeka Cup. Those are going to happen. Those tournaments are not, you know... Our main thing is the target is the Asia Cup qualifying and playing there and the World Cup.

National coach Khalid Jamil recently omitted Sunil Chhetri for the CAFA Nations Cup, calling it a tactical move.

"I was surprised with Khalid. He didn’t take Sunil and some others to the CAFA tournament. That would have been a great opportunity to take the full squad -- Sunil and the rest -- and get them playing together before the qualifiers.

"If he had been with the team for one or two years, that would be different. But this was his first tournament. Sunil had never played under him, nor had many others. Those were the matches where he should have tried everyone and prepared for the Asia Cup qualifiers." Chhetri comeback big mistake ==================== Chhetri, who reversed his international retirement earlier this year to help India in the qualification campaign, should have stayed retired, Bhutia said.

"It’s time for Sunil. He's had a great career and a wonderful farewell, but his comeback was a big mistake, for him and for Indian football. I had mentioned that earlier too.

"It's also time for senior players like Sunil and Gurpreet to call it a day. They have served Indian football well, but now the next generation has to take over," he concluded. PTI AT AT