Full-time for Bhutia

The decision,Bhutia said,wasnt too difficult,since he would still be involved in the game as player-cum-director at United Sikkim. I was prepared for it. Ive had my share of great moments,and difficult times as well,but Ive accepted that I cant go on forever, he said. Maybe it would be harder if I leave football completely. Lots of players retire and have nothing to do the next day. Im lucky since I own a club.

Indian footballs graph has had more troughs than peaks during Bhutias 16-year international career,but had moved forward in the last 2-3 years,he said. Slow steps,but there are positive signs. Weve won important tournaments,at home,and the biggest achievement of my career was qualifying for the Asian Cup,and playing those 15 minutes, he said. For us,it is like playing in Copa America or the Euros.

Not qualifying for the World Cup,he said,would be his only regret. I dreamed of playing in the World Cup,ever since I watched it in 86, he said. It never happened,but I hope it does in my lifetime.

Between eras

Having bridged two generations of Indian players,Bhutia praised the current lot for their professionalism. With the I-League coming in,the culture has changed. Talent-wise,the generation of IM Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri was the best. Vijayan could have played for any club in the world. But that generation didnt have the same kind of professionalism, he said.

While maintaining that all his coaches had left their own impact on his career,Bhutia made special mention of Uzbek Rustam Akramov,under whom he made his India debut. Akramov changed my life by moving me from midfielder to striker, he said.

Bhutia said that India would keep producing players of his stature. There will be bigger names and better players than Bhaichung Bhutia, he said. We have a lot of young players. Sunil Chhetri cant be called a young player anymore hes already one of the seniors. Jeje is extremely talented. But we need many Chhetris and Jejes. Not just one or two.

This,Bhutia said,would happen if Indian clubs prioritised developing the grassroots. The Federation should put pressure on clubs to work on youth development.

He reckoned that the newer,professionally-run clubs would show the way forward. The established clubs may not change. More professionally-run clubs like Pune FC or Lajong must play in the I-League. That is the way forward, he said. Either they give direct entry to such clubs,or let them play in the second division and get promoted from there. You cant have teams like Army XI. Twenty years back,players wanted to play for the Army or the banks,and get a secure future. Now,they want to leave for professional clubs.

Bhutias retirement will also allow him to devote more time to the Football Players Association of India,of which he is the president. Their immediate target,he said,would be to push for universal contracts for players. This will mean equal bargain for both parties,player and club. A lot of players come from a humble background,and it will be good for them to know that they are signing the same kind of contract as a Sunil Chhetri or Bhaichung Bhutia, he said. We also need to sign an MoU with the AIFF,similar to the MoU between FIFPro the international players body and FIFA.