Forlan backs ”cricket-crazy” India to build football from the roots

KOLKATA: (Oct 5) Legendary Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan is not surprised that India remain a work in progress in football, given cricket’s overwhelming popularity, but believed the country can produce top-level players and become a stronger force if it invests in the grassroots and continues exposing its youngsters to high-level competition.

Forlan, who played for Mumbai City in the Indian Super League 2016, has returned to India in a different role, as head coach of Uruguay, who faced India in an international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.

“Your main sport is cricket, so it’s different. Football has been here for many years, of course, but it’s not the main sport. But you have a lot of young talented players,” Forlan said at his pre-match press conference