New Delhi: The excitement on his face was palpable and there was a buzz in the air but the silence over his remuneration became a subject of speculation even before Sunil Chhetri could share the good news of him being signed by Sporting Lisbon with his India teammates.
People connected with, or, in the know of the deal here, refrained from disclosing anything about the contractual details, especially the signing fee.
“The focus is mainly Sunil at the moment and we are not going into the contractual details right now,” said an official involved with deal.
“The details will be worked out very soon and you should get them in the next 24 hours,” he added.
As the contract with Chhetri’s previous club, Mohun Bagan, was not renewed this season, the question of transfer fee does not arise. ”But he will be getting something we are sure,” a source said.
Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri (R) vies for the ball with Hamdan Al Kamali of UAE in this file photo. AFP
For a nation starved of football success at the big stage, an European heavyweight showing interest on Chhetri, even for their B team, is a welcome news.
Considering the 163rd-ranked India’s standing in international football, AIFF president Praful Patel was not far from the truth when he termed the development a “beginning of a new era”.
Chhetri himself, surely on a lighter note, stated that money does not make much difference.
The captain of the Indian football team, Chhetri is no stranger to foreign clubs having spent times at Coventry, Queens Park Rangers, Kansas City Wizards and, more recently, Glasgow Rangers.
The trials, though, did not lead to selection.
The Portuguese club, in its statement, described the 28-year-old Chhetri as “an idon in his country”, adding: “He will symbolise the dreams of the all the young people who have an ambition to play in Europe”.
Chhetri’s agent, Yogesh Joshee, assured that the aim is to get him play regularly unlike at Kansas.
The pint-sized striker too must be hoping that he gets to play as much as possible in the Iberian country.
PTI
