Investment in grassroots to “cultivate new blood” is the development path that a country like India should adopt to see success in football, feels the Arsenal legend Sol Campbell.
“I think if India can find a good balance between getting investments and a good grassroots programme, the sport will grow. Any country looking to develop the game needs a little bit of sustainable money in there, you need the money to attract the players (to the clubs) and then have the funds to go into the grassroots to cultivate the new blood, new quality players.
“If you haven’t got a system, you don’t know what you’ve got,” Campbell, who is in the city as the international ambassador of Tata Steel World 25K run, said during a media interaction on Thursday.
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“On one side, you have got what Saudi Arabia is doing. They are pumping in money, they are getting the players in, but in the end, they still have to start doing the grassroots and start building that system.
“You may well end up like the American League (MLS) back when Pelé and all the big names of the time were playing. In the end, it will become top heavy and then all of a sudden you find there is no foundation,” Campbell said.
“I want to help India find out what talent they have got in the country because I don’t think that people know exactly what you’ve got here. I think it is all about getting a culture and continuing the culture.
“Let’s get certain cities and the right people in the right positions to create the academy and identify these players early on, and then help them through with good coaching, good lifestyle, all that kind of stuff,” the former England captain quipped.
