Veterans demand overhaul of 'rotten' system

THE GREAT INDIAN FOOTBALL MESS

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

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 (likely qualifiers based in current form) and Jordan have qualified for the World Cup, and we are still struggling for the Asia Cup. Very unfortunate,” he lamented.

The loss 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.