“It’s Difficult To Wake Up A Sleeping Giant”: Terry Phelan, the former star of Manchester City, On Indian Football

Terry Phelan feels it will take some time to awaken the “sleeping giant,” a phrase that is commonly connected to Indian football.

With high expectations, the Indian football team participated in the AFC Asian Cup 2024, but the outcome was, to put it mildly, disappointing. The team captained by Sunil Chhetri failed to score in any of the three group stage matches against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria, giving up a total of six goals. Indian football has historically been referred to as a “sleeping giant,” but Terry Phelan, a former player for Chelsea and Manchester City, thinks it will be difficult to awaken the “giant.” Phelan, who is presently South United FC’s sports director in the Bengaluru Super Division, talked candidly about the status of Indian football and potential future directions in an exclusive conversation with NDTV.

“Everyone seems to be considering getting involved in the World Cup. It needs time. It demands resources, time, and money. Rebuilding it will take a very long time. Both the AIFF and private organizations are pushing for better coaches as better coaches convert into better players. I believe Indian football will experience this, but they must act quickly to determine how to conquer it.”

“It also has to be a long-term endeavor engaging both major and grassroots clubs. If there is a significant change, perhaps we can stir the sleeping giant. However, rousing a sleeping giant is difficult since, negatively, people become disinterested when the national team is losing,” the speaker stated.

Phelan, who joined South United FC in 2019, has disclosed that the team intends to discover more youthful talent and make grassroots investments.

“We are a self-sufficient football team that was built from the ground up. We have a great setup here in Bengaluru that benefits the players. In the long run, we also intend to expand the AIFF ecosystem. We always hope to expand to Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and possibly Mumbai,” he continued.