Football: Former India Captain Bhaichung Bhutia claims Kalyan Chaubey Destroyed Indian Football
Bhutia slams AIFF president for India’s football struggles
Indian football players and fans were forced to swallow a bitter pill earlier this month when the national team suffered a painful 1-0 defeat to Hong Kong at the brand new Kai Tak Stadium, which sent them to the bottom of their group standings after two games.
What made the defeat a tough one to accept was that the Blue Tigers conceded in the 94th minute of the match, and the result left their chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup hanging by a thread, which is a major blow with the side already ruled out of 2026 World Cup qualification. You can track India’s progress for the rest of the tournament via our Asian Cup livescore tool.
Following the loss, fans and pundits were left outraged, and Bhaichung Bhutia, former captain of the India national team, took his frustration public by accusing the All India Football Federation’s president, Kalyan Chaubey, of destroying the sport. He said:
“Kalyan Chaubey has destroyed Indian football. Chaubey has to resign and leave. He has completely destroyed it. Three General Secretaries in two-and-a-half years -- the entire structure, the system will have to be changed. Controversy after controversy, corruption charge... even after months now we don't know who the I-League winner is.”
Bhutia went on to question Chaubey’s decision to appoint Manolo Marquez as the head coach of the Blue Tigers while simultaneously managing FC Goa, while suggesting that the AIFF president had bypassed the organisation’s technical committee during the Spaniard’s appointment.
The former India skipper also criticised the AIFF for asking national hero Sunil Chhetri to come out of retirement for the team’s qualifiers, labelling the decision a “poor call” and a move driven by “desperation rather than proper planning.”
Notably, Bhutia ran for the position of AIFF presidency back in 2022 but was beaten by Chaubey. Since then, he has regularly called out the current leadership, while alleging corruption and mismanagement throughout the upper echelons of the organisation.
AIFF president Chaubey bites back at Bhutia criticism
Following Bhutia’s no-holds-barred press conference, AIFF president Chaubey addressed the allegations made by the former India skipper in a separate media address, during which he also expressed India’s interest in bidding for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. Responding to Bhutia’s claims, Chaubey said:
"As a member of the (AIFF) Executive Committee, Mr. Bhutia has access to appropriate and empowered platforms to express his views. However, since his defeat in September 2022 (AIFF president's election), he has consistently and deliberately made baseless allegations and presented a distorted image of the AIFF. These actions tarnish the federation's reputation and Indian football internationally”
Chaubey closed the topic by inviting Bhutia to attend the upcoming AIFF Executive Committee meeting, which is scheduled for July 2, adding that it would be an opportunity for Bhutia to air his concerns and provide his suggestions to the relevant parties.
India will resume their AFC Asian Cup qualification in October, when they face Singapore back-to-back in the space of five days before taking on neighbours Bangladesh on the road in the following month.
