Marco van Basten: U-17 WC could be a major step for development of football in India

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New Delhi, Oct 28: Netherlands legend and footballing icon, Marco van Basten has suggested that he is very much impressed with the standard of football he has seen at the FIFA under-17 World Cup.

The former AC Milan forward is the Chief Officer for Technical Development of FIFA and will be in the stands today in Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata to witness the final showdown.

He also watched the semi-final clash between Spain and Mali in Mumbai and ahead of the final, opened up about the tournament in a press conference in Kolkata on Thursday.

"The level is really good. I was present (in Mumbai) at the semifinal between Spain-Mali and also saw the England-Brazil game on TV. These boys are extremely professional and very good technically and physically. That is a really positive sign. At their age, I could not play at the level of these boys and was also not that professional," Van Basten said.

This Under 17 World Cup has seen a mass crowd appearing for the stadium to witness the charisma of the young footballers and it is expected that the record of overall highest attendance in an Under 17 World Cup will be broken today.

And Van Basten claimed that he is very much impressed with the outcome of the tournament and successful organisation of the tournament will now open up new encounters, leading a new era in Indian football.

Van Basten said: "Football in India will get a new horizon with the U-17 World Cup."