[Exclusive] Hope in future, going is smoother: Indian captain Sunil Chhetri opens up on AIFF ban by FIFA

The World football governing body FIFA has given a glowing tribute to the Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri and honoured him by producing a three-part documentary on his incredible career. Chhetri is the third highest goal-scorer among active players in international football only behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In an interaction with Times Now, Chhetri opened up on a wide range of issues including the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup which will take place in India. Chhetri also spoke out on the recent developments in Indian football which stunned the sports' eco-system in the country as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was suspended by FIFA. While the probation was revoked in a few days, it brought an uncertain period for Indian football.

Chhetri revealed his conversation with young players at the time and hoped that things will be smoother in the future. He also wished luck to the new AIFF administration which took charge last month with ex-Indian goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey being elected as the president.

“Why I did that was because I got a lot of messages from players who had no idea what was going on or what would happen. Some of them have some naive answers and I understand as they are young. I had to tell everyone to calm down as things were not in their hands, no matter how much they took pressure or tension. That's why I said relax and think about being a better player.

"The new team has come up, we have already met them. I just wish them all the luck. It’s not easy to run a federation, I understand that with my limited knowledge. I just hope in the coming future, things are much smoother. I hope they get all the support and all of us come together to do our jobs," Chhetri told Times Now.

Talking about his expectations from the AIFF, Chhetri urged everyone to work towards the growth of Indian football. “Some of the people at the helm of affairs I have played with. Things seem optimistic. It is not easy, there are a lot of angles to running a federation. It’s easy to pass judgements from outside. The idea is simple to better Indian football even if we have different ideas," added the Indian football captain.

Chhetri and the Indian football team are currently preparing for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup which will take place in June 2023. The Blue Tigers had a poor international break as they played a 1-1 draw against Singapore and were beaten 3-0 by Vietnam.