Former India captain Sunil Chhetri admitted he feels “a little jealous” watching the current generation get an opportunity to face footballing giants Brazil and Uruguay, saying he never got a chance to play against teams of such stature during his long international career. Chhetri, who was the face of Indian football for more than two decades before retiring from international football, said the prospect of India taking on top-ranked opposition was exciting but also made him envious as a spectator.
Despite being away from the national team set-up, Chhetri said he had complete faith in the current crop of players and backed the young talent in the squad to seize their opportunities.
“I feel a little jealous as a spectator. The former striker also backed head coach and the coaching staff when asked about team selection and the exclusion of certain players, saying the coach was best placed to assess the team’s requirements. “The coach has to answer that. “This is their time. There are so many talented youngsters in the team.
In my 24-26 years as a professional and nearly 20 years with the national team, I never got an opportunity like this,” Chhetri told the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Everyone gets their opportunity; just like I got mine 20 years ago,” he said.
I’m just a fan now, watching like everyone else,” he said.
