Sunil Chhetri, 34, gave an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times in which he denied rumours that he may retire after India’s failed bid to progress past the group stages in the AFC Asian Cup tournament held in UAE.
“No reason to [retire], one day there will be a No. 10 who will be better than me. Till then, I think I can contribute”.
The skillful forward, who scored twice in India’s 4-1 rout of Thailand in their opening group game, then addressed the team’s dismal performance against Bahrain in their final group game that they lost 1-0 – a game they just needed a draw in to ensure qualification.
Chhetri also mentioned in the interview that coach Stephen Constantine, who announced his resignation immediately after the tournament, had gotten emotional while letting the players know that he wouldn’t stay.