Seeing the Brazil national football team and their star players line up against the Blue Tigers on home soil is undoubtedly a dream come true for thousands of passionate football fans across India. Opportunities to face five-time World Cup winners do not come around often for Indian football. However, a section of the domestic football spectrum, led by former national team captain Bhaichung Bhutia, is calling for a ‘boycott’ of the fixture, arguing that the considerable funds allocated for the high-profile exhibition match would be better invested in long-term grassroots and sporting infrastructure projects.
When NDTV contacted sources close to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), they confirmed that the governing body remains entirely unconcerned by the growing chatter in India and is not altering its plans for the October friendly.
A delegation from the CBF inspected the playing surface at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday. While subsequent reports suggested that the grass density on the pitch was low and required immediate work to prevent potential injury risks to players, sources clarified to NDTV that the feedback was merely a routine precautionary measure that had been blown out of proportion. The condition of the field, sources confirmed, will have no impact whatsoever on the schedule of the match.
The Brazilian federation also denied being affected by the calls for a boycott, suggesting that such reactions appear to be driven by local politics. Addressing India’s decision to pull out of the inaugural FIFA-ASEAN Cup in order to accommodate the marquee friendly against Brazil, sources stated that no changes are being considered regarding the fixture, as it has already been officially announced. As for the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) decision to withdraw from the regional tournament, the source added that the CBF was completely unaware of the move.
In an official release, Brazil’s team coordinator framed the upcoming visit to India as a sincere attempt by the national team to express gratitude to local fans for their long-standing devotion to the Selecao.
“We will face Australia, who qualified from the group stage and were eliminated in the second round, but have shown great improvement. Against India, there’s the technical aspect and a great deal of gratitude to the Indians, who showed enormous affection and support for the Brazilian National Team during the World Cup. So it’s only fair that we go there as a way of thanking them, but also to put on a great performance,” said Rodrigo Caetano, the Brazil national team coordinator.
READ | Bhaichung Bhutia’s Brutal Verdict On India-Brazil Clash: “Boycott That Match”
India are expected to play a total of three friendly matches during the October international window. While the high-profile fixture against Brazil is confirmed, Cape Verde is being targeted as the second opponent, with the name of a third team currently being finalised.
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