Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has called on football supporters to boycott India's high-profile friendly against Brazil in Kolkata, arguing that spending tens of crores on a 90-minute exhibition would be a misuse of money at a time when Indian football desperately needs investment at the grassroots and club levels.
India are scheduled to face five-time world champions Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. Reports have estimated that staging Brazil's visit could cost organisers around ₹60-70 crore. The fixture has already generated controversy after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) withdrew India from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, where they had been drawn alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, to prioritise the Brazil game.
Speaking in an interview with 420 Grams, Bhutia went a step further than his earlier criticism of the decision and urged fans to send a message by staying away from the match. “Boycott that Brazil match. Then I think that is a big message. Then every organiser, every federation will think twice,” Bhutia said.
Bhutia urges Bengal government to invest elsewhere
Bhutia particularly questioned any attempt by the West Bengal government to provide or help raise money for the fixture, arguing that such funds could have a much greater long-term impact if invested in athletes and sporting infrastructure.
{{/usCountry}}Bhutia particularly questioned any attempt by the West Bengal government to provide or help raise money for the fixture, arguing that such funds could have a much greater long-term impact if invested in athletes and sporting infrastructure.
{{/usCountry}}“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 ₹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 ₹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.”
Bhutia acknowledged the excitement that a visit from Brazil would generate but questioned what would remain once the spectacle was over. “If the match happens, everybody is excited, fans come in, you know, media, the government, everybody will be happy. But once the match happens, your money is gone and your football is 20 years behind,” he said.
‘East Bengal will struggle because of Brazil’
The former India captain also warned that pouring such a large amount into one event could make an already difficult sponsorship market even tougher for Kolkata's traditional clubs.
“East Bengal will struggle because of Brazil. If ₹50 crore is gone from Bengal, East Bengal will have no investors and no sponsors for the next five years because the money is not there in the market, and clubs like East Bengal are going to suffer,” Bhutia said. “Clubs like Mohammedan Sporting are going to suffer if ₹50 to ₹70 crore for one 90-minute match is going to go to Brazil.” His comments come amid genuine financial concerns around Indian club football. Mohammedan Sporting have recently acknowledged outstanding liabilities to players, staff, vendors and other creditors, while East Bengal are preparing for the AFC Champions League Two group stage after beating Kuwait's Al Arabi 4-1 after extra time in the preliminary round. Bhutia had already criticised India's decision to sacrifice the ASEAN Cup for the Brazil friendly, arguing that competitive matches against Asian opposition would offer greater sporting value. His latest intervention, however, is considerably stronger: he now wants supporters themselves to reject the Brazil spectacle as a statement about where Indian football's money and priorities should lie.