The history of Indian football is one of barefoot defiance and Asian Games gold. We were once great. Despite a strong fanbase of over 13 crore today, India has tumbled to 141st in the world rankings, with its top league and infrastructure struggling to stay afloat. In this series, we peel back the layers of mismanagement and systemic failure to ask: how did we get here? More importantly, how do we fix it? Let’s Talk About: Indian Football. 

To kick off this conversation, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri sat down with Eric Benny, former manager of the men’s national team, ex-general manager of the Indian Arrows and founder of Eric Benny Sports Management, which is mentoring aspiring players. He offers a blunt diagnosis: we are chasing short-term gains at the expense of a sustainable future.

Drawing parallels to European powerhouses like France and Germany, Benny suggests a radical shift toward regional accountability. 

“Go in a region of 200 kilometers. Pick up your local kids, develop them,” Benny insists. By taking ownership of local districts – whether in Punjab or Kerala – clubs can build a grassroots foundation that doesn't rely on “importing” talent.

When it comes to technical development, Benny critiques the “static” nature of Indian coaching and advocates position-specific mastery. “We need individual training for strikers, defenders, midfielders, and goalkeepers... Everyone's trained differently,” he explains. He dismisses the “lack of resources” excuse, arguing that the internet has made elite session plans accessible to anyone with the right intention. “Involve the parents,” he suggests. “What stops you from creating a league? If we develop players, coaches, and administrators locally and give them games every weekend, the game becomes the teacher.”

One of the most poignant parts of the discussion involves the Indian Arrows. Benny, who founded the developmental team, recalls a time when it served as the backbone of the country’s elite talent. “The national team at one point in time had 7 out of 11 players playing from Indian Arrows,” he notes, highlighting that even former “benchwarmers” from the program rose to vice-captain the national side. Today, the project is shut. Benny suggests it’s a casualty of a system that refuses to invest in its own people for the long haul.