Mumbai : Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia said here that the Football Players Association of India has asked IMG-Reliance to increase the home grown players to six from the current five in the starting eleven of the Indian Super League.
The former FPAI president also said here that the association wanted the ISL to increase the teams from the present eight by “one or two teams”, at the FPAI’s annual awards function at the Cooperage banquet hall Monday night. “We want to work with the ISL and I-League. We want more and more teams to join the I-League and ISL. With this, the two competitions will get stronger. We need more teams so that more players get chances,” he said. “We have (also) requested for six Indians in the ISL (against the current norm of five) in the starting eleven,” said the former Sikkimese striker with several current footballers, including foreign ones of the I-League sitting in the audience and lapping up his words.
FPAI’s vice-president and former India international Abhishek Yadav said the association was striving hard for the betterment of the lot of players including providing them an easier pathway to earn the coaches’ norms and medical insurance.
Bengaluru FC’s English coach Ashley Westwood, who was nominated as the winner of the best coaches’ award at the function, said he has seen a lot of interest in football in India over the last three years he has been present in the country. “I have seen many improvements. It’s not only cricket now. Professional football is rising. That will help Indian football,” he said. Later at a press conference, Westwood sounded cautious about his chances of continuing in his present position with the I-League team in the Garden City.
When pressed further whether he would stay with the club next season, he added, “Hopefully yes.” Asked about the Indian national team’s poor ranking on the FIFA chart (162 as of now), Westwood was diplomatic and said it was “disrespectful” for him to comment on national coach Stephen Constantine. “It’s not my job. I don’t want to insult the coach. He (Stephen Constantine) doesn’t comment on Bengaluru FC and I don’t comment on India. It is disrespectful.”
Asked for a response whether he would take up the national team coach’s job if it were offered to him, Westwood said, “Again, I wouldn’t disrespect my club. I’ve got a contract to coach Bengaluru FC. To comment on jobs with managers in jobs is really distasteful. I wouldn’t like it if someone said that I could do a good job at Bengaluru FC because that is my job.”
He also brushed aside questions whether he saw the practical side of a possible merger between I-League and the Indian Super League which has been bandied about by the All India Football Federation. “Honestly, I don’t make rules here. I’m just a coach. I coach football games, and business details and mergers – I’m not really interested in them, to be honest. I’m just doing my job.”
