Bhaichung Bhutia slams AIFF president for controversial remarks on Northeast players

Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has lashed out at All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey for his remarks on Northeast players. Bhutia called the statements "stupid" and accused Chaubey of lacking knowledge about football. 

"He has never played for the national team, and his comments about Northeast players being short and not good enough are shocking," Bhutia said. Chaubey allegedly remarked that while players from the region have speed and skill, their shorter stature is a disadvantage in international football, suggesting a focus on taller players from Rajasthan.

Chaubey has since denied making these statements, but Bhutia questioned his rationale, particularly regarding Rajasthan players. "I don’t know where he got this idea from," Bhutia added.

Tensions between Bhutia and Chaubey have been ongoing since Chaubey defeated Bhutia in the 2022 AIFF presidential elections. Bhutia, who has consistently criticized Chaubey's leadership, also took issue with Chaubey's claim that switching team travel from trains to flights would improve standards, calling it a superficial fix.

Bhutia further criticised the selection of Manolo Marquez as national team coach, claiming the process bypassed the technical committee, which should have had a say in the decision. He cited his resignation from the committee as a direct result of this, saying, "If you're going to appoint coaches this way, what's the point of having a technical committee?"

He also pointed out the mishandling of former coach Igor Stimac's departure, noting that AIFF now faces a financial burden of ₹4 crores in compensation. "This was complete mismanagement by the President. If handled properly, we could have avoided such a financial loss," Bhutia said.