Sunil Chhetri Focuses on Bengaluru FC After International Retirement

Sunil Chhetri, the legendary Indian footballer, has shifted his focus to representing his club, Bengaluru FC, after retiring from international football. Chhetri's popularity remains undiminished, as evidenced by the thunderous cheers he received during the club's open training session at the Bangalore Football Stadium.

The 39-year-old striker declined to specify when he would retire from club football, stating that he would continue playing as long as he could contribute to the team. "A lot depends on what value I bring to the team. That is a very important criteria," Chhetri said. "I do not want to be here if I don't add value. I want to give my very best to this team."

Chhetri expressed his joy at the Indian cricket team's victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, particularly for his close friend Virat Kohli. "I love the fact that he (Kohli) won the tournament. It was long overdue. I know that he genuinely wanted to win it. To see the tears, as a sportsperson myself, I understood the emotions," Chhetri said.

Like all Indian fans, Chhetri's heart skipped a beat when David Miller nearly hit a maximum in the final over of the match. "When Miller hit the ball, we all thought it was going for six. What a catch by Suryakumar (Yadav)! It is a fine margin — if that had gone for six, who knows what would have happened. Kudos to the whole team," Chhetri said.

Chhetri acknowledged that BFC's 10th place finish in ISL 2023-24 was among the club's worst performances. He expressed a strong desire to restore the club to its winning ways. "The message from the head coach (Gerard Zaragoza) is very clear. He wants us to win every day. Firstly, we have to be at our best in training. There is a lot of competition in the team, so the coach made it very clear that everyone has to work hard to grab their places in the side. This creates a healthy atmosphere," Chhetri added.

Tags: #SunilChhetri, #BengaluruFC, #IndianFootball, #T20WorldCup, #ViratKohli