Bhaichung Bhutia urges boycott of India v Brazil friendly in Kolkata
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has called on Indian football supporters to boycott the India v Brazil friendly at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium scheduled for October 3, arguing that the funds reportedly being spent on a single 90-minute match would be better invested in local sporting development.
Brazil are due to face India in Kolkata on October 3 after the All India Football Federation withdrew the national team from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup because of a scheduling clash. The federation's decision to prioritise the friendly has stirred public debate over the allocation of resources for Indian football.
Speaking to 420 Grams, Bhutia questioned the value of the expenditure reported for the fixture and framed the match as short-term entertainment compared with long-term investment needs. "If Rs 50 to 70 crore for one 90-minute match is going to Brazil, then what are we getting in return? Maybe 90 minutes of entertainment," he said.
Bhutia addressed the Bengal government directly and criticised Kalyan Chaubey's role in the arrangements, urging state authorities to redirect funds toward producing future Commonwealth Games medalists. "I hope the Bengal government becomes sensible enough to realise that they are being misguided by Kalyan Chaubey. If the Bengal government is going to pay for or try to raise money for this match, please raise it for Bengal to have the next few gold medallists at the Commonwealth Games," he said.
He cited the state’s recent Commonwealth Games outcome and set out a funding alternative, calling for sustained investment rather than a one-off expenditure. "This time, Bengal did not have a single athlete who won a medal at the Commonwealth Games," Bhutia said. "So, when you have Rs 30 crore, please invest it over the next four years to have 10 medals in Commonwealth Games."
Bhutia also proposed creating community facilities for football development as a practical use of funds, specifying the scale of his suggestion. "With Rs 30 crore, make 100 futsal grounds. At least seven-a-side futsal grounds are going to come in 100 grounds in different districts. Use it, utilise it properly," he said.
Linking the Brazil fixture to domestic finances, Bhutia warned that large public spending on the match could reduce investment available to local clubs and affect sponsorship. "East Bengal will struggle because of Brazil," he said. "If Rs 50 crore is gone from Bengal, East Bengal will have no investors and no sponsors for the next five years because the money is not there in the market." He added that clubs such as East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting could suffer, and his remarks come amid wider uncertainty in Indian football with clubs facing financial pressures and the ISL's future having gone through prolonged uncertainty.
The AIFF has defended the decision to prioritise Brazil, stating the match presents an exceptional opportunity and could provide a morale boost to the national team, and the federation has rejected claims of a predetermined financial penalty following India's ASEAN Cup withdrawal. The federation also maintained that the Brazil fixture was approved through the appropriate institutional processes and rejected claims about the cost and use of federation funds, with one federation official publicly asking Bhutia to provide evidence for his figures.
India's friendly with Brazil is scheduled for October 3 in Kolkata, while the ASEAN Cup takes place from September 21 to October 6; the scheduling clash between those commitments led the AIFF to withdraw from the tournament and prioritise the high-profile friendly.
