Pele Wants India to Focus on Grassroots, But is Someone Hearing?
Pele is on his second visit to India after 38 long years. Indian football has only gone backwards in between these years. The glamorous Indian Super League has failed to conceal the real state of the game.
Pele, the only footballer to win three World Cups and arguably the greatest ever player to grace the Beautiful Game, arrived in India after 38 years, last Sunday. In this week-long visit, the Brazilian legend witnessed two paradoxes of Indian football -- the Indian Super League and the Subroto Cup. (Pele Wants Indian Players to Compete Abroad)
The much-hyped ISL has the presence of star players like Roberto Carlos, Nicolas Anelka, Adrian Mutu, Marco Materazzi, while the Subroto Cup stands as the lone ray of hope to supposedly unearth Indian talent. ISL and Subroto Cup are total strangers to each other. (Pele mesmerises Kolkata)
Pele was present as the chief guest at the 2015 U-17 Subroto Cup final in the Capital on Friday. But before that these were his words on Thursday, when asked about the state of Indian football.
"Every federation has a problem, be it Brazil or other countries. The important thing is to focus on grassroots. Indian players should go out and play in Europe, South America, etc. That will help them. Moreover, there should exchange programmes (with other countries)," Pele said.
"I can arrange exchange programmes for young Indian players of the age of 15 or 16 in Rio de Janiero or somewhere in Brazil. I can help in doing this with Santos (his club of 25 years). I can do this."
Pele and the ISL 'Circus'
Pele, who two days back had to oblige for photo requests from Bollywood celebrities to top industrialists in Kolkata on the sidelines of an ISL match, has a point when it comes to the real need of Indian football.
With the 2017 U-17 World Cup just two years away, focus on grassroots is utmostly needed. The U-16 team too, which is preparing for the showpiece event, is performing well too against European club sides. But the question is whether that is enough?
Two years ago, the FIFA academy programme started with much hype. There were plans to set up four academies in Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Goa. While the Navi Mumbai and Kolkata academies closed down after a year, the Bengaluru academy never saw light of the day. But the All India Football Federation insists that the academies have merely been 'relocated' to Goa.
The situation is bleaker in the seniors sides. Ranked 167 in the world, the national team has lost all its five 2018 World Cup qualifiers and the I-League is on the brink of shrinking even further. Pune FC and Kalyani Bharat FC have put one foot forward to join the group of clubs like Mahindra United and JCT Phagwara and exit the 'premier league' of the country.
All this is happening when TV is often blaring the name of the costliest football tournament in South-East Asia, the ISL. Even Pele too has been part of the football circus. The day he witnessed the ISL game between Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters FC on Tuesday, India lost 3-0 to Oman in Muscat.
Which is the Real League?
It is impossible to imagine Santos playing a League match versus Palmeiras when Brazil is playing a World Cup qualifier. Probably Pele is unaware that ISL is not India's main league. Indian football, for the sheer lack of clarity, is in the doldrums. The federation is virtually toothless in front of its commercial partners.
Some of the players in the national team, joined the camp just 72 hours before an earlier Turkmenistan-match on October 8. They were busy preparing for the ISL. The clash of interests hurt the ISL and but it hurt the national team more.
Delhi Dynamos' marquee player-cum-manager Roberto Carlos was even angry as national coach Stephen Constantine was adamant on not releasing the players for an extra day.
"Yes, I spoke to him (Constantine) and asked if I could keep them (players). I did not like the way he spoke," Carlos said. "I don't want to speak about the Indian national team because of the way he spoke to me, good luck to him."
It has been a week since as the Indian players have come back to their ISL teams. Robin Singh, who could not score for India, struck the winning goal for Delhi Dynamos FC against FC Pune City while India captain Sunil Chhetri is set to make his ISL debut on Friday for Mumbai City FC. Even Pele is here to celebrate the great ISL in this festive season.
But the question that has been lurking in the background for a long time now, still remains. Is Indian football progressing at all?