Even though India is ranked 102nd in FIFA and has never participated in the World Cup finals, Arsene Wenger believes the Asian nation has the assets to play a more important role on the world stage. “My goal is to advance football throughout the world. And it is impossible for a country like India, which has a population of 1.4 billion, not to be on the world football map.said the director of world football development at FIFA on Monday.
“My main goal is to convince the public that there is a gold mine here, but currently the mine has not been fully explored, exploited and encouraged”underlined the former Arsenal manager, while meeting with the president of the Indian Federation.
“Great asset, fantastic quality”
The 74-year-old technician is campaigning for a massive football development program to be launched in India, as Japan did in the 1990s. “I was in Japan when football was really taking off there in 1995. In 1998 they were at the World Cup,” recalled the former Nagoya coach (1994-1996). So that means it’s possible. You have to start early. I believe you have extraordinary strengths, extraordinary qualities that make me very optimistic about what you can do here. »
