Exclusive: Sunil Chhetri: “Ashley Westwood was the first gaffer to tell me I can’t play in the team”
Sunil Chhetri celebrates a goal against Churchill Brothers
Newly crowned champions Bengaluru FC held a press conference on Wednesday, and we got skipper Sunil Chhetri to answer a few questions for us. Read on to see what he said –
When Ashley Westwood told you that you need to play on the left wing, what was your reaction?
“I think before that he told me that I’m not going to be there in the team. So we came from the SAFF Cup, me and Robin (Singh), and we had our first game coming up against Mohan Bagan, so he called me to the room and said “You’re not going to play the first two games.” I was zapped.
“He told me exactly why – because Malemnganba was playing really well and it wouldn’t have been fair to tell him that our captain has come back and he should play. Westwood told me, “Show me something good while training and I’ll put you there.”
“I was shocked initially because I was not used to this, but thankfully I took it in the right way. I really worked hard on training and after two games, I got my chance. So this was the first time a gaffer told me “you’re not going to be in the team”.
How does it feel winning the I-League with Bengaluru FC?
“It feels excellent. It’s like a dream come true, especially because last year when I won the I-League with Churchill Brothers and decided to sign for Bengaluru FC, lot of people told me “What are you doing? It’s a new club. You might have to fight relegation.”
“But I knew I was signing for a professional club. I didn’t even know who the coach was going to be or who the players were going to be, but I just took the plunge. It was a reaction from the heart that I really want to play for a club who want to work in a progressive way.
“And look where we’ve ended up now.”
Did you face any difficulties in training?
“Difficulties in training, yes. Because we really had to work hard with somebody who’s a taskmaster. He doesn’t leave any stone un-turned.
Did everyone get along with everyone in the team?
“Absolutely! We’re like one big family. Ego hassles and fights – not a single one in the eight months of training. Forget fights, there wasn’t a single misunderstanding between the players. We’re a team that trains really hard. There were no mishaps during training. There are no egos in our team. That’s why we’re the champions. We have no one who thinks above the team or no one who thinks he’s better than another.”
What was a bigger achievement for you – Breaking the goal scoring record or becoming the I-League champion?
“This is a tricky one. I’ll have to say it was winning the I-League.
“I was already on 42 goals and I’m 29 now. I knew I was going to play many more International games. My mother was at the ground at Siliguri, but I knew I was going to reach there.
“But this one, we had no idea that we would win the title. When we started from the bottom, we didn’t know we were going to reach here. So this is special.
“We’ll try our best to win the I-League next year also. We might win a lot of tournaments also, but this is always going to be special because this is from scratch. It is from hand-picked people, right from the CEO, the media manager, the coaches, the players and everyone. They called us ‘team of discards’ but look at where we are now.”
How difficult was it for you to choose Bengaluru FC over the Indian Soccer League (ISL)?
“It wasn’t easy. The ISL and a lot of other clubs also wanted me to join them. I would’ve happily stayed at Churchill Brothers because we were champions and would have played the AFC Cup, but there was something. I had a couple of meetings with Mustafa (Ghouse) and that’s it. I asked them who are the players, they said, “don’t ask”. I asked them who was going to be the coach, they said it’s not yet finalised.
“I told them that I want to play for a club that has the passion to become champions, and they said, “We do. Don’t ask why, but we do.”
“And thankfully I heard my heart. It was an instant decision. I came to Bengaluru FC, saw new players, and saw the new coach. From the first day itself, we had a feeling that we are going to be a team who will be tough to beat because we are going to give our best.”
How different was training under Indian coaches and foreign coaches in India?
“I don’t want to compare Ashley Westwood with anyone. It wouldn’t be fair. Here’s a guy who’s not only technically tactical but also so knowledgeable. He is everywhere. Right from checking what’s happening in the kitchen at 6 o’clock in the morning to taking care of every other thing on and off the field; to counting the number of bananas the players are having – everything the nutrition, the recovery, the medicines. And he transferred his enthusiasm on to the players.
And if you see our training, it’s all top-notch, top-class. He just gets pissed when the energy drops. He wants to improve every day.”
A word for the fans?
“Someone asked if Ashley Westwood was the number one reason behind us being the champs. Number two would definitely be the fans. They are the best fans in the world. They’ve been there since the first game against Mohun Bagan – on the streets cheering, coming for matches. They are so positive, always encouraging us.”
Is Daniel Bryan your favourite wrestler?
(laughs) “I haven’t seen too many of his fights. I’ve only seen him once. And his celebration caught my eye. I don’t know why but it’s really in our club right now. Everyone does it!”