'FSDL and ISL clubs are crying..' - Bhaichung Bhutia slams Indian Football's failures

Overview

• Bhaichung Bhutia slammed Indian Football and ISL for their failures
• The former Indian Footballer claimed both junior and senior players are struggling at the highest level
• Bhutia felt the need for Indian Football to produce strikers

In a recent interview, Bhaichunga Bhutia slammed Indian Football and ISL for their failures, resulting in the disappointment of the fans. The former Indian star felt the need to find a striker, as there have hardly been any since the retirement of Sunil Chhetri. He claimed that both junior and senior players are struggling to perform at the highest level.

"It’s (Indian football) got a major structural issue, and I've been saying this for a very long time. FSDL, AIFF, and every stakeholder shouldn’t rush into it and get a bad deal for everybody," said Bhaichung Bhutia on Times of India.

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Bhutia addressed the failure of ISL and claimed that both FSDL and clubs are complaining of not gaining anything from the league. However, he wanted the people in power to look at the plight of the fans who were invested in the team to get nothing in return for a very long time, even to qualify for a tournament like the Asia Cup.

"Nobody has gained out of it. FSDL are saying they have lost a huge amount of money. ISL clubs are saying they have invested so much into it and not got anything out of it. FSDL is crying about losing ₹500 crores. ISL clubs are crying about losing huge investments. And today, look at Indian fans crying because of where our football has gone," Bhutia added.

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"Fifteen years after my retirement, we are still looking for a striker after Sunil Chhetri" - Bhaichung Bhutia

Bhaichung was concerned with the fact that the junior players at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels were not becoming a sensation, as visible in other parts of the globe. At the same time, he claimed that the senior team was failing to qualify for the Asia Cup, which was taken for granted in his time.

"At grassroots level, the next generation of players who are making a sensation is nothing. Our under-17s, our under-20s are struggling to even qualify for the Asia Cup. And the senior team obviously is struggling for something which we had qualified regularly for the last decade or so," Bhutia added.

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Bhaichung noted how there used to be a time when the Indian team used to qualify for the Asia Cup despite the tournament featuring only 14 teams. He added that the Indian team at present is failing to qualify for the tournament despite the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams.

"I did not play in the ISL. We still qualified for the Asia Cup when it only had 14 teams. Today, the Asia Cup has 24 teams that are allowed to play and we are still struggling. Fifteen years after my retirement, we are still looking for a striker after Sunil Chhetri. I retired when Sunil was with me, in 2010/11," Bhutia added.