In an e-mail interview, Pranav Mukul interacts with Atishay Agarwal, who worked with Goal.com India from October 2008 to May 2010 as both an Editor as well as the Chief Editor and shares with us his views on Indian and World football. He's preparing a surprise for every football fan in the nation but for now read on...
Q1: If you could describe the current scenario of Indian Football in a line, how would you do it?
It’s a vicious circle. Players need better fans, and fans want better players.
This is obviously keeping aside the administration of the sport, which still leaves a lot to be desired.
Q2: Would you like it to change? If Yes, how?
Well, it must change. The future of Indian football is in the hands of the fans, who must show their support for the local game instead of trying to compare it with the various leagues around the world. India is way behind, and the fans here must understand that only with their support will the standard of the sport improve in the country. Once investors see that interest from the people of India, more money will gradually start pouring into the sport, which will in turn improve the standard of our football, which is what is needed.
As far as the AIFF and various other state bodies are concerned, they have to be more professional in their approach and market the game aggressively. They need to learn from other Asian nations and be professional about their job. They have to look at football as a business that is in their hands, and make it grow. This has been oft-repeated though, and I don’t want to harp on it.
Q3: What are your predictions this year for the: i-league, EPL, La Liga and The Champions’ League?
I-League: East Bengal look fairly strong this season and should win it, as it already looks like a one-horse race. However, the season is long and you never know, especially when it comes to the Kolkata sides. Dempo are a bit weakened by the absence of the Indian national team players, and are finding it tough to cope with it. Churchill will rely solely on Okolie once again, and although Salgaocar stand in 2nd place, I don’t really expect them to challenge for the title come the end of the season.
EPL: Chelsea were runaway favourites at the start, and their story reminds me of the 2004-05 season, when champions Arsenal started in whirlwind fashion, only to drop several points after their first defeat. I had a gut feeling about United at the start of the season, but changed my mind once I saw them play. However, they’ve proved me wrong and really are the favourites now, although I think it will be close, between them, Arsenal, and Man City . United don’t really have a better side than both those teams, but are edging it on mentality at the moment. They are just so used to winning, that it is carrying them through. You can’t really count Chelsea out, and I do think they will be in the top four, but the title seems out of their grasp now.
La Liga: This is a tough one, but I expect Barca to retain their crown. Mourinho has definitely made Madrid a tougher team to beat and has gotten them closer to the top, but I feel he will need one more season to win the title. However, the rest of the league is almost playing at a division lower than Barca and Madrid, which is quite disappointing from a neutral perspective.
Champions League: I feel Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea have a good chance this season. Barca for obvious reasons, they just are that good. Madrid have Mourinho in charge, who knows just what it takes to win this competition, and Chelsea because they should regain their form once the knockout stages resume. AC Milan, if they get past Tottenham, should also be dangerous. Inter and Bayern will probably not replicate last season’s heroics, and while United have a relatively easier draw, they just don’t have enough quality to see the competition through. Arsenal had an outside chance, but after being drawn against Barca, it’s tough to not see them going out.
Q4: Talking about the i-league, do you think disbanding of clubs like Mahindra United amongst others has some impact on Indian football?
Well of course, more so because it was Mahindra United. They’ve been the biggest club in Mumbai for decades now, and were a well-known name all over India. There are still a few Mumbai clubs in the league, but none of them are even nearly as strong. I don’t feel the league will be affected as such, but it’s just that the disbandment created a sense of negativity in Indian football, which is the last thing we need at this moment.
Q5: Considering the talent present in Indian football, not only in the premier leagues of the country but also in the local leagues in city like Kolkata, Pune, etc. do you think that India has a good future in world football?
Well the talent is there but it could be nurtured in a much better manner with improved coaching and infrastructure. Also, I feel India should now begin to cultivate a proper playing style right from when the player is young. The national team often struggles due to a lack of identity, really, as they don’t seem to have a signature style of play. Hoofing long balls to Sunil Chhetri and Bhaichung Bhutia, while they do well for their size, won’t really get us anywhere in the long run. Technique and pace (especially) need to be given a lot of importance in order for the players of tomorrow to be able to produce quality on the pitch and not just play head tennis. As the Asian Cup has shown, we are way, way behind physically than all these teams. They can go past us easily because our players just can’t turn quickly enough, or have enough pace to catch up. We need proper training right from a player’s younger days to ensure the next generation can match at least other Asian nations.
Q6: Do you think the development of football in India is hindered by the extra-ordinary popularity of cricket in the country?
I don’t really agree with this. I feel every sport has its own audience, and if more money, support and thinking is pumped into football, fans will follow, and then so will the media. Already we see a majority of young kids enjoy football today, but they have no love for the game locally. That needs to change.
Q7: How important do you think is the role of media in development of Indian football?
Very important, naturally. However, we are seeing improvements in this regard as compared to a decade ago. Although there is scope for improvement, I-League matches have been telecast live in recent years, and although they are not as of now, the IMG deal should see that change in the near future. We are seeing good coverage of the Indian team at the Asian Cup on tv, on the web, as well as the print media, so there is sufficient coverage of the national team as well. However I still wish news channels gave some more airtime to football and footballers, but I guess that will come only when the team is more successful.
Q8: Finally, summing it up, I’d like to ask, where do you see India in world football 10 years from now?
I don’t see India in the World Cup, but I see it as a much bigger name in Asian football. We should first try to qualify for the Asian Cup again and again, and with the current U-16s and U-19s (Both have impressed internationally in recent times) filtering through to the seniors, we could be seen as a strong continental side, which could knock on the doors of the World Cup by about 2022 or 2026. However I’ll say it again, we need to create our own identity as a footballing side, and play in a particular style that focuses on our strengths.
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