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Footballers want electric atmosphere, says Sunil Chhetri after emotional plea to fans goes viral

Intercontinental Cup: Sunil Chhetri says he would like to play in front of a packed stadium, urging fans to turn up for the match against Kenya in Mumbai.

By Naveen Peter
Sunil Chhetri, India and Bengaluru FC striker (Image: AIFF Media)

Mumbai, June 3: Football in India in recent times has undergone a sea of change. But nothing in the past surprised many the way Sunil Chhetri made an emotional plea to fans on Saturday (June 2), asking them to come in large numbers to support the Indian national football team for the Intercontinental Cup 2018.

Intercontinental Cup schedule</a> | <a class=Even Kohli appeals to fans" title="Intercontinental Cup schedule | Even Kohli appeals to fans" />Intercontinental Cup schedule | Even Kohli appeals to fans

The Indian legend, who is set to play his 100th game for the national team on Monday when they take on Kenya in their second game of the Intercontinental Cup, expressed concern over the low turnout for the games at the Mumbai Football Arena. “I request you all to please come... talk about the game, go back home, have discussions, make banners. Please get involved, this is an important time and juncture in Indian football and football in India needs you guys,” he said in a video posted on his Twitter handle.

Though a few thought that the video was made in order to attract as many as possible to the Mumbai Football Arena on Monday for Chhetri’s big day, the Indian skipper clarified the intentions behind it. “The video wasn’t for the special occasion (the 100th game). But now it’s out, I can’t believe the impact. My phone is hanged. I thank everyone who has joined in,” he said at a media interaction on Sunday.

Stating the reason behind the video, he said: “We played the game (against Chinese Taipei on Friday) and it was great to celebrate with the fans (who had turned up). But later, I was speaking to Sandesh (Jhingan) about how clubs have done well (w.r.t. to getting crowds to the stadiums for their games). The best among them is Kerala Blasters, where the players can't hear what they say. You want to live those 90 minutes. That is what we want to feel. This is something we didn't feel at Mumbai.”

Poor scheduling of the matches is also to blame for the poor turnout for the opener on Friday. There are many who believed that if the India matches were to be played on a weekend, Mumbai wouldn’t have disappointed. And the national team skipper too seemed to agree with this. “It's a very valid point,” he said answering a query on Sunday. “Until we capture the fans, where irrespective of the day, if the Indian team is playing you can guarantee a full house, we need to be cautious about such (scheduling) things.”

He also cited Bengaluru FC’s example in this respect. “What we did at Bengaluru FC is an example. When we started five years back. We ensured that we got the matches at conducive timings. And once the bug bites you and you have an assured number of spectators turning up, you need not worry. Now for an AFC Cup game on a weekday, we have 8-10k people turning up. I just hope that we do it better the next time. 8 pm kick-off is great for both the players and the spectators. And if I am ever asked I will definitely put this forward.”

Story first published: Sunday, June 3, 2018, 20:08 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 3, 2018