Former Indian Football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia has urged the football fans in the country to boycott the high-profile friendly against Brazil. Notably, the five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil are set to take on India in a highly-anticipated exhibition game on October 3 in Kolkata. While the excitement for the game is high among fans, Bhutia has urged them to boycott it and pointed out the huge amounts of money spent on the 90-minute game. He pointed out that it is a misuse of money, when the Indian football itself is in desperate need of financial assistance.
Per reports, the entire event is expected to cost around INR 60-70 crores. Moreover, the AIFF withdrew from the FIFA ASEAN Cup to prioritize the upcoming fixture. “Boycott that Brazil match. Then I think that is a big message. Then every organiser, every federation will think twice,” Bhutia told on 420 Grams. Not only this, but he also went on to invest the sum of money somewhere else as that can help the athletes and sports infrastructure.
“If the Bengal government is going to pay or try and raise [money] for this match, please raise it for Bengal to have the next few gold medals in the Commonwealth Games,” Bhutia said.
“So when you have Rs 30 crore, please invest it in the next four years to have 10 medals in the Commonwealth Games. We are trying to bring the Olympics here. Try and have Olympians from Bengal winning medals there. Or with the Rs 30 crore, make 100 futsal grounds — seven-a-side futsal grounds. You can have 100 grounds in different [areas]. Use it, utilise it properly. Don't waste it for one 90-minute [match] and think the money is gone,” he went on to say.
This Can Only be a Day of Embarrassment- Former India Head Coach Igor Stimac on India-Brazil Friendly
Apart from Bhutia, the forthcoming exhibition game didn’t get approval from former India football head coach Igor Stimac. Not only this, but Stimac also slammed the AIFF for withdrawing from the ASEAN Cup to host the Brazil team. The Croatian football manager said that the Indian football body should prioritize its domestic calendar before organising friendlies against giants. "You need to synchronise the league, and the club with the national team needs.That's what I was telling you from the very beginning. Because you are at the bottom of world football, not far away from that,” Stimac said on Sports Now.
"And to start working precisely on what is needed to rise, you need to synchronise local leagues, which are your base, with the national team's needs. The tournaments which are organised and you decide to participate in so you can be effective there and get the points and the rankings through those tournaments and the games."
"India playing against Brazil or Argentina, this can only be a day of embarrassment," he further added. Notably, this is going to be the first-ever This is the first-ever senior men's international match between India and Brazil, as well as the first time Brazil's senior men's team will play on Indian soil.
