I don’t care: Khalid Jamil reacts to Ancelotti’s remarks about Indian football culture

Khalid Jamil had little interest in engaging with Carlo Ancelotti’s comments about Indian football culture, opting instead to focus on the national team’s upcoming friendly against Panama. The India head coach said everyone is entitled to an opinion but made it clear that his priority is what happens on the field.

India are preparing to face Panama in Bengaluru on Thursday, with Jamil using the FIFA window to test a squad that includes a mix of established players and younger faces. In his pre-match press conference, Jamil was asked about Ancelotti’s assessment of Indian football.

“I don’t care. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

The question came later Ancelotti spoke about the challenges facing Indian football ahead of Brazil’s highly anticipated meeting with India in Calcutta next month. Instead of responding to the wider discussion about the evolution of the sport, Jamil immediately turned his sights back on another Indian opponent.

“I want to focus on tomorrow’s match against Panama.”

Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil earlier this year, pointed to the lack of a strong football culture in India when discussing the country’s development. He also spoke about the importance of grassroots football and creating better conditions for the development of young players.

JAMIL FOCUSES ON PANAMA

Jamil’s immediate challenge is a Panamanian side who offer India a tough test before the team takes on Brazil and Uruguay in October. The coach has used the current camp to look at younger players alongside the veterans, with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Manvir Singh and Anirudh Thapa among the senior members of the squad.

The coach also hinted that India will not just sit deep against stronger opposition. Jamil said his team will have to adapt as the match unfolds rather than fully commit to either defense or attack.

“We play a stronger team. At the same time, you cannot defend all the time. So there will also be a mix of defending and attacking. We will react according to the situation.”

The match in Panama is followed by India’s important matches against Brazil and Uruguay in Kolkata. However, those matches can wait for Jamil for now as India prepare for the first of three Tests.

INDIA’S NEXT BIG TESTS

Jamil also made it clear leaving some older players from the squad does not mean that the door is closed to them. His current plan is to give the younger players more attention while mixing them in with veteran fighters as he tries to build a stable team.

Part of this senior group, Gurpreet reiterated the importance of treating the upcoming matches as competitive rather than simply relishing the opportunity to face bigger opponents.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

24 Sep 2026 16:46 IST