ബ്രസീലുമായുള്ള സൗഹൃദ മത്സരം സർക്കസ്; എഐഎഫ്എഫിനെതിരെ രൂക്ഷ വിമർശനവുമായി ബൈച്ചുങ് ബൂട്ടിയ

Indian football great Bhaichung Bhutia called the historic friendly between India and Brazil as a circus. He also crictised the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for ignoring some of the long-standing issues within the game in the country and giving preference to the tie that took place on Saturday, October 3.

The match against Brazil was part of a three-match series that also included ties against Panama and Uruguay, teams who played at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Bhutia admitted that from a fan and former player perspective, a tie against Brazil is a cause for excitement. However, he felt that AIFF should be looking to develop the game with a long-term vision.

"From a player's or fan's point of view, yes, everybody would love it. As a player, I would've loved to play Brazil," Bhutia told The Indian Express before the match. "But is the federation's job to give the players an opportunity to play against Brazil or is it their job to develop football for the longer run?"

Bhutia, who is part of the AIFF executive committee, also questioned the logic behind playing Brazil after paying a large amount of money, especially when Indian football and ISL clubs are struggling to stay afloat at the moment.

"For a federation to pay Brazil to play this match - it's being said that the amount is Rs 50-60 crore - is completely illogical," Bhutia said.

"I am in the ExCo, there was a deficit of Rs 14 to 16 crore in the last budget. You are running pillar to post for getting sponsors. Clubs are shutting down because there are no sponsors. There are clubs in the I-League (Indian Football League) and ISL (Indian Super League) that are struggling to find sponsors."

India were originally set to play in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, where they were drawn alongside Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia -- teams closer to their FIFA ranking of 138. Brazil, by comparison, were ranked sixth as of Friday.

The AIFF initially planned to send separate squads for the ASEAN Cup and the Brazil friendly, but later withdrew from the tournament altogether to prioritise the high-profile clash, a decision Bhutia criticised.

"We shouldn't have missed out on a competitive tournament like the ASEAN Cup. The players would have benefitted playing competitive matches in that tournament, a minimum of three games. And then you chose to play this friendly by paying so much money, it makes no sense as a federation," said Bhutia.

WHY NOT THE JAPAN WAY?

Bhutia said Brazil's involvement in Indian football could instead have followed Japan's model. The J-League brought in Brazilian players and coaches during its early years, helping a generation of Japanese footballers learn from Brazil's creativity while combining it with their own discipline.

"What did Japan do with Brazilian football? They collaborated. There were people like Zico who coached the Japanese national team for a long time. They had a lot of expertise from Brazilian football in Japan."

"When you have a clueless president, the entire thing becomes a circus and that is what is happening in Indian football. Look at our FIFA ranking, we went from being inside the top 100 to close to 140. Even in the Asian Cup, India didn't qualify on merit," said Bhutia.

India were given a reality check during the international friendly on Saturday as they were beaten 0-4 by Brazil.