Latest news with #RaviPuskur
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Unless we look into the mirror and accept reality, Indian football will not progress'
Ravi Puskur took everyone by surprise when he chose to expose the 'rotten system' within Indian football, where everything moves, in his own words, on influence, favours, and fragile egos. In a free-wheeling chat with Team TOI , the CEO of FC Goa discusses the ills plaguing the sport in India, the way forward for the beautiful game, the measures that his club has taken to stem the rot and why there's still hope. Excerpts from Townhall With TOI Given the poor results of the national team and uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League, how would you describe the Indian football situation at the moment? Indian football is in a very uncomfortable situation. The (international) results are not going our way, ranking has dropped, clubs are bleeding, and the top division of the country not starting on time is obviously never good news. It comes down to the general governance of how the league would run, how that would then correlate with what the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has in mind, what the clubs have in mind. It's about bringing together the best part of at least a hundred stakeholders in the ecosystem, who essentially are responsible for the money that is invested in Indian football. That's never an easy task because everybody has an agenda of their own, everybody has a thought process of their own, and to bring it all together in such a short span of time, I think is the greatest challenge. Where did it all go wrong for Indian football? So where did it all go wrong for Indian football? Was there any trigger? The rot has been there for a while and nobody attempted to stop it. Everybody who is in the stakeholding ecosystem of Indian football is equally complicit. Nobody put their hand up and acknowledged there's a problem, nobody addressed it. We all know there's a problem. There is a financial ecosystem that is not making a lot of sense. Everyone is haemorrhaging money. The ecosystem has failed through time and the problems compounded themselves. Given what you said, and what you see, do you think Indian football needs a reset at the moment? It's clear that we need to do things differently. In the last 10-12 years, the estimated investment is around Rs 5,000 crores, a significant amount of money, but what is the end product? Have we progressed? How many players that are currently playing, who have had 10 years of professional football at their disposal, would go toe-to-toe with their South American or even Asian counterpart? The answer, to be entirely honest, is maybe one or two at best. Everybody else would have a tough time, and that is very visible when the national team competes against others. The speed of thought, the speed of action in a technical capability is not even 15% or 20 % of what the rest of the players are playing at a global level. Is it the mentality that is holding back Indian football or is it the failure of the entire ecosystem? We don't have a sporting culture quite like other countries. In India, sport is not promoted as much as it could be in the ecosystem of education that we have currently right now. It is just a spot filler in the timetable. If ever there is a sacrifice that is required, normally it is the sporting time which is sacrificed to ensure that other co-curricular activities or traditional subjects are fitted in. We have also not mentalised ourselves where we've learned to compete from a very young age, understanding what it is to be a teammate, the camaraderie that comes with it, what it takes to overcome challenges, suffer setbacks. I think all of that is not something that is inherently built within us. Even right now, Indian football is essentially walking on a limb. What's the need of the hour? We need dialogues, reflections, and an open mind, ready for changes. We need to address the challenges. Because until that happens and people decide to stick a mirror to themselves and say, OK, this is the reality, and this is the part I have to play, the system will spit and chew out a thousand Manolos, but it will not move much further than where it is right now. Rising salaries of domestic players in Indian football The big elephant in the room is sustainability and the rising player salaries. Do you believe Indian footballers are overpaid, and if yes, how do you control this from a club point of view? My answer is not going to make me very popular with Indian footballers, but yes, without a question of a doubt, the players are overpaid. If there's one thing that needs to be corrected first, it is the salaries. The money that is being paid is not something that would see equivalent value in terms of performance. If I pay the same amount of money to any player who does not hold an Indian passport, the quality I would get will be 10 times better. The reason we are limited is because we are all stuck in this concept of cheap thrills, where we want to win the league year after year, no matter the cost. Football is not easy to manage but it's not rocket science either. There are minds who do a lot more greater things in life than just put together a team and win. If we can do it with a budget of Rs 40 crore, instead of Rs 50 crore, the Rs 10 crore that you have saved can possibly train 10,000 kids for five years. We need sensible decisions. FC Goa is taking corrective measures Since your public criticism of the system, what corrective measures have you introduced at FC Goa, specifically about player salaries? We have stopped running this rat race of trying to outbid each other. As a club, we are not entering a bidding war. We will see value, and if there is a player who we feel is demanding a salary which is far above what we think we should be paying, we will step back. We will have to bring in more players through our youth system, because we do run a development program, and if you are not giving them a platform, then what good is that? We also want to dedicate a lot more of our time focusing on our youth players now rather than the first team. This might sound like we are taking a step back, but if you look around, there are two things that are fundamental for success in ISL. One, you need a good coach, who can organise the team. Two, you need a good set of foreigners. If you supplement them with Indian players who are half decent, I think you will have a good season.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rising salaries of domestic players in Indian football
In a free-wheeling chat with Team TOI, the CEO of FC Goa Ravi Puskur admits that Indian football players are overpaid. He says that if there's one thing that needs to be corrected first in Indian football, it is the salaries of players. "If I pay the same amount of money to any player who does not hold an Indian passport, the quality I would get for the same player would be 10 times better," he says. Read More
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Where did it all go wrong for Indian football?
Indian football is in a very uncomfortable situation. The (international) results are not going our way, ranking has dropped, clubs are bleeding, and the top division of the country not starting on time is obviously never good news. The rot has been there for a while, and nobody attempted to stop the rot, says CEO of FC Goa Ravi Puskur. Everybody who was in the stake-holding ecosystem of Indian football is equally complicit. There is a financial ecosystem that is not making a lot of sense. Everyone is haemorrhaging money. Read More
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amid uncertainty, FC Goa turn focus on ACL Two playoff
This will be the second time that FC Goa will feature in Asian competitions after their AFC Champions League debut in 2021 Panaji: For now, nobody knows the fate of the Indian Super League (ISL), which has been officially kept on hold for the season. But despite the uncertainty over the country's top-tier league, FC Goa have said they are committed to putting their 'best foot forward' for the crucial AFC Champions League Two playoff clash next month. Goa won the Super Cup last season to qualify for continental competitions. Amid the uncertainty, the single-leg ACL Two preliminary clash against Al Seeb has come early in the season – August 13 to be precise – leaving the club with little time for preparation. Questions were asked whether Goa would give the competition a miss. However, CEO Ravi Puskur said the club recognises its responsibility to represent the country on the continental stage. 'Withdrawing at this stage would not only invite significant sanctions but also leave a permanent stain on everything we've worked to build over the past decade,' Puskur told TOI on Sunday. 'That is not a message we are willing to send, to our players, our fans, or to Indian football at large.' Puskur, though, acknowledged that the prevailing uncertainty has severely hampered the team's preparations. 'The lack of clarity around the domestic calendar and broader structural issues have made it extremely challenging to plan effectively. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like الذهب يشهد ارتفاعًا قويًا في عام 2025 - المتداولون الأذكياء دخلوا السوق بالفعل. IC Markets تعرف على المزيد Undo This disruption is bound to have an impact. That said, we are committed to putting our best foot forward. We will do everything in our capacity to set aside the distractions and focus on delivering a performance that brings value and pride to Indian football at the Asian level,' said Puskur. Should Goa cross the preliminary hurdle against Oman champions Al Seeb, they will move to the group stage where Cristiano Ronaldo 's Al-Nassr FC will be one of the participants. Goa have already completed their foreign quota for the season with all six players expected to arrive later this week to prepare for the playoff. The foreigners include Dejan Drazic, Borja Herrera, Iker Guarrotxena, Javier Siverio, David Timor and Pol Moreno. The ACL Two features the largest cast across the AFC's club competitions and the 2025-26 edition will see 29 sides -- 14 from the West and 15 from the East -- granted entry to the Group Stage, with six more teams to occupy the indirect slots and do battle in the Preliminary Stage. The winner of each Preliminary Stage tie will progress to the Group Stage, while the losing side will have to settle for a spot in the third-tier AFC Challenge League.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Players have lost hunger with big contracts: Ravi Puskur
FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur made his views clear after India's defeat against Hong Kong on Tuesday Panaji: India's loss against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final round qualifiers has left them at the bottom of the group and raised several uncomfortable questions. For 16 matches, played across 18 months, the national football team has won just once, against lowly Maldives at home. Understandable, the blame game has started. While most fans point a finger at the inefficiency of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), others have accused the players of not doing enough at the international level. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur has blamed a 'rotten system' where everything moves on influence, favours, and fragile egos. He hasn't spared the national team players either, most of whom are handsomely paid. 'Clubs, mine included, have inflated player salaries irresponsibly,' Puskur said in a post on social media. '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. It's not that they don't have potential; it's that they've had little reason to stretch it. We've handed comfort to players, and with it, taken away their edge. ' Puskur also took aim at agents, in his words, 'part of the problem.' 'They are draining the ambition out of players to ensure their pockets are well lined. It's not just about big contracts anymore, it's about players losing hunger. There's too much focus on earning, too little on evolving,' he said. The media, he said, 'look the other way, no hard questions for fear of burning bridges,' while fans want their clubs to win, without truly being truly invested in change. 'Are you okay if we let go of a player who demands unreasonable money? Will you trust us to find someone hungrier, more grounded, and committed? If we enjoy your confidence, we'll go out there and do exactly that. We need that support. Not just when the games are won, but when hard decisions are made. 'As football clubs, collectively, we are the biggest investors in day-to-day Indian football. We are expected to build academies, run teams, hire staff, create local ecosystems. Yet when it comes to shaping national football policy, we have no seat at the table,' said Puskur, adding that he was voicing his concerns 'not from a place of anger but of accountability.'
