Chhetri's return bad news for Indian football: Venkatesh

Time of India

27-05-2025

Venkatesh Shanmugam
CHENNAI: Back in 2005, as the India captain, Venkatesh Shanmugam had urged a fading senior to step aside so that an eager 20-year-old
Sunil Chhetri
could get his chance. It was a bold call then. And now, with Chhetri stepping back onto the international stage after 'retirement', Venkatesh voices a deep-seated disappointment.
The man who once cleared the path for Chhetri is left wondering why Indian football isn't doing the same for those waiting in the wings.
'Two decades ago, I told a senior player to hang up his boots so a young Sunil Chhetri could rise,' Venkatesh, who is currently the technical director at FC Madras, told TOI. 'But now, Chhetri breaking his retirement to come back is bad news for Indian football. It's demotivating for all the young players.
I'm not blaming Chhetri. He will play only one or two matches. But if you bring a youngster and back him now, he will give 10 years.
'Indirectly, we are sending a message to everyone that we don't have players. We are seeing that a lot of grassroots programme have come and there are a lot of tournaments. Still, we are depending on the 40-year-old striker?'
Venkatesh, a former assistant coach of the India senior team, didn't mince words on the chaos surrounding head coach Manolo Marquez, who had a dual role while coaching FC Goa and the national team.
'We are going 20 years back,' the star midfield of his time bluntly said. 'We have done this before. We failed when Armando Colaco was coach for both Dempo and the national team (in 2011). We have to bring a permanent coach. I respect all the coaches, including Manolo. But which coach will think about Indian football and take risks for it? That's a big question.'
Venkatesh, who holds an AFC Pro Licence, explained the differences between coaching a club and steering a national team and how each demands a separate mindset and level of commitment.
'Thanks to the ISL (Indian Super League), they brought a lot of attention to football in India. But when you play in the ISL, the Indian players will play only against four foreigners. When we go for international games, you have to face eleven foreigners. The temperament is completely different. You can't compare ISL and international football. Tomorrow, if you play against a team like Korea, you need solid preparation.
It's true Manolo has done well as an ISL coach and that's why AIFF thought he knew Indian football well. But international football is something different,' said Venkatesh.
So, what's the way forward? For Venkatesh, it starts with looking beyond the obvious. 'I feel this is high time that Indian football bosses think seriously about building a second layer. There has to be a Team 'A' and a Team 'B'. Fill Team B with young players, give them time and space to grow.
The only thing that separates a star from the rest is opportunity. And when there's pressure for places in the first team, it naturally brings out the best in players,' the 46-year-old said.
Venkatesh is optimistic about the current bunch of Indian players. 'I can see that the current Indian players, in terms of technique and physicality, are very strong. If you see all the players, all the positions, you can see aggression.
Indian football is more aggressive now,' said Venkatesh.
Venkatesh also pointed out that there is a lack of a proper bridge between youth and senior levels. 'I feel we should concentrate more on the under-21 category, then only you will get a strong core for the future. There's a big gap post the under-19 level. Players are jumping straight into the senior team without proper progression. The under-21 level is the backbone of Indian football,' he said.
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