Indian football captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has urged stakeholders to heed advice from renowned Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, following the latter’s recent comments on the state of Indian football culture. Ancelotti, ahead of the scheduled friendly match between India and Brazil in Kolkata on October 3, noted that India lacks a strong football culture despite excelling in other sports, suggesting the country needs to build a new generation of players.
Responding to these remarks in an exclusive interview, Gurpreet emphasized that guidance from a coach of Ancelotti’s stature—who has a distinguished record in international football—should be taken seriously by the Indian football community. However, Gurpreet also outlined what he sees as the crucial steps India must undertake to cultivate such a culture.
At the core of his argument is the need to establish solid fundamentals within Indian football, beginning with aligning the domestic league and training structures with global standards. Gurpreet acknowledged that Indian football has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly due to disruptions in the league schedules and administration. The previous Indian Super League (ISL) season was delayed and shortened amid commercial uncertainties, and the second-tier league also experienced a truncated campaign. Although this season’s ISL is set to start on October 10 with the Indian Football League following on October 30, the instability has highlighted ongoing issues in maintaining a consistent and competitive domestic environment.
“The lack of consistency affects not only the players but everyone involved—from backroom staff and academy operators to the players’ families,” Gurpreet said, reflecting on how these disruptions ripple through the entire football ecosystem.
To address these structural issues, Gurpreet advocates for establishing a stable and continuous domestic calendar, with a full season running for nine to ten months in line with international norms and supplemented by cup competitions. He stressed that once such a schedule is fixed, it should remain consistent annually to help nurture a sustainable football culture.
“This stability and consistency in structure will organically create the culture that is currently missing,” he remarked.
The upcoming friendly against Brazil represents a significant opportunity for India to measure itself against one of the world’s strongest football nations. Brazil, a five-time World Cup winner and consistently high-ranked team, will provide the highest-ranked opposition India has faced since the FIFA ranking system began in 1992.
India showed promise in their recent 1-1 draw against Panama, ranked 44th globally, in Bengaluru. Gurpreet concluded with a light-hearted note, expressing hope that Ancelotti might offer further insights following the high-profile encounter.