More players want to be Sunil Chhetri: Luis Garcia backs 'potential' of Indian football

Former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Garcia has backed the potential of Indian football to do better in the future.

Garcia is well aware of the talent that Indian football possesses as he was the first marquee player in the Indian Super League (ISL) back in 2014. The Spaniard famously guided Atletico de Kolkata to the ISL trophy in the inaugural edition of the football league.

"Definitely, there is potential there, there is talent and there is a passion which is very important. More players want to be Sunil Chhetri and that is how you are going to make a competitive squad that can challenge to be in the World Cup one day," Luis Garcia toldwhile talking about the future and potential of Indian football.

Garcia also weighed in about the chances of Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

The 43-year-old said: "Tough question because they are close. Very very close, both are involved in the massive competition. I think the key competition is who is going to rotate better. Who is going to do this kind of rotation (with players)."

"Guardiola does not like to change at the weekend. Jurgen Klopp is managing a little bit differently with a lot of rotation when they play the cup and when they play the champions league. So, I think it is going to be about who is going to arrive better. If you are going to call it now then both are fantastic and both can win it," he added.

Garcia also talked about the upset created by North Macedonia against European champions Italy in the FIFA World Cup play-offs. The Spaniard who was attending a launch event in New Delhi of the first-ever 'eLaLiga Trophy powered by Hero Vired' said: "No, I think that at the end this kind of thing happens. There was a lot of pressure on the Italian team. They won the Euro so everybody was expecting the Italian team to be in the World Cup. They were the favourites in the game against North Macedonia. But Macedonia were the dark horse and they surprised the Italians."

"These kinds of things happen more often. Football has become more competitive. It is very difficult to win every single game. Macedonia were better in that kind of situation and they had the advantage to try and be the dark horse and surprise the Italians," Garcia said.

( With inputs from ANI )