The Great Indian Football Mess: Bhutia, others demand overhaul of 'rotten' system

Kolkata: Outraged by India's plummeting fortunes on the football field, talismanic former captain Bhaichung Bhutia has accused the national federation of destroying the sport while some other stakeholders have lambasted the current system as "rotten" and riddled with "fragile egos".

Bhutia's scathing attack on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its President Kalyan Chaubey came a day after the team collapsed to a stunning 0-1 loss to a lower-ranked Hong Kong in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

"It's very painful to see... we are definitely struggling now to even qualify for the Asia Cup, which we've been qualifying for regularly," Bhutia told PTI.

"Countries like Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Jordan have qualified for the World Cup, and we are still struggling for the Asia Cup. Very unfortunate," he lamented.

The loss on Tuesday left India's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup hanging by a thread -- a stark contrast to their recent back-to-back appearances at the continental showpiece.

Visibly anguished, the former India captain called for Chaubey's resignation and demanded a structural overhaul of Indian football, describing the on-field disasters and off-field chaos as symptoms of a deeper rot.

Current India head coach Manolo Marquez, who is also the coach of Indian Super League side FC Goa, took over from Croatian legend Igor Stimac in July last year. Stimac was sacked after a string of disappointing results, including a loss to Afghanistan in a World Cup qualifier in Guwahati.

Marquez hasn't been able to arrest the slide either and the team has logged just one win in its last eight matches. It is being widely speculated that he does not wish to continue in the position.

India had trained for nearly three weeks in Kolkata ahead of the crucial match on Tuesday, only to be outclassed by a team ranked 26 notches below them (India: 127, Hong Kong: 153).

The latest defeat is expected to push the country down to 133 in the FIFA rankings.

Bhutia, who was defeated by Chaubey in the AIFF presidential election in September 2022, did not mince words while calling out the current leadership, alleging mismanagement, corruption, and bypassing of key footballing committees in major decisions, including the appointment of Marquez.

"Kalyan Chaubey has destroyed Indian football. Chaubey has to resign and leave. He has completely destroyed it. Three General Secretaries in two-and-a-half years -- the entire structure, the system will have to be changed," he said.

"Controversy after controversy, corruption charge... even after months now we don't know who the I-League winner is," he added, referring to the ongoing legal tussle between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers for the championship.

He accused Chaubey of bypassing the Technical Committee to appoint Marquez and criticised the decision to let the Spaniard simultaneously coach both FC Goa and the national team.

Bhutia also criticised the decision to bring talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri out of international retirement, saying it was a poor call driven more by desperation than planning.

"It was nice of him to come out of retirement, but it was a completely bad decision. Manolo should not have requested, and now we hear the Federation pushed for it. But what's changed?" he asked.

"There is nothing happening at the grassroots. It's all negative news off the field, and that reflects on the national team's performance." Bhutia also ridiculed AIFF's decision to offer a USD 50,000 match bonus instead of a qualification-linked reward for the Hong Kong game.

"You're paying Rs 42 lakh for one game. Why not link it to qualification? It just shows how clueless the management is."

It's the lowest point: Goutam Sarkar

Former India international Goutam Sarkar echoed Bhutia's sentiments, expressing frustration at the team's stagnation and the federation's failings.

"We have not progressed even an inch. If Sunil Chhetri continues to be your indispensable player, can it be more unfortunate?" he wondered.

"Of course, the Federation is completely responsible. They have been a complete failure."

Foreign coaches not the solution: Subrata Bhattacharya

Legendary defender and coach Subrata Bhattacharya slammed the obsession with foreign coaches and called for more faith in Indian talent.

"It's no guarantee that a foreign coach will give you success. Domestic coaches like PK Banerjee and Amal Dutta brought glory." "Foreigners in ISL won't help Indian players develop. Only Indian coaches know our boys and can develop them." On Chhetri's return, Bhattacharya, who also happens to be his father-in-law, said, "It's his personal decision, but if it was done to serve someone's personal interest, it's wrong."

System rotten, needs urgent fix: Ravi Puskur

Two of Indian football's key club stakeholders -- Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal and FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur -- also launched a scathing attack on the AIFF and the broader footballing ecosystem, calling for deep introspection and structural reform in the wake of the humiliating defeat.

FC Goa's Puskur called the system "rotten in ways we refuse to admit." "Everything moves on influence, favours, and fragile egos. We don't have the maturity to manage the ecosystem we claim to be building. We turn on each other faster than we face uncomfortable truths," Puskur wrote on X.

Puskur, however, felt that blame for the national team's persistent failures cannot be placed solely on the federation, the coach, or the players.

"We lost the match versus Hong Kong yesterday and there's outrage -- players, coach, federation, clubs are all facing the ire. But the truth is: blame isn't isolated. It belongs to all of us. And yes, that includes me," he added.

"Clubs -- mine included -- have inflated player salaries irresponsibly. We are outbidding each other for perception, knowing fully well it's unsustainable. Then we act shocked when these players fall flat on the international stage. WE built that illusion."

Get a manager and system that works; Jindal

Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal also lashed out at the AIFF on social media, calling for urgent course correction.

"This is completely unacceptable @IndianFootball - just not good enough under any circumstances - deep introspection needed by the AIFF - this is not what all of us lovers and backers of Indian football have spent our hard-earned money and effort to witness - get a manager and a system that works -- it's high time," he said.