Build from the Roots: Diego Forlan’s Blueprint for Indian Football
Diego Forlan has returned to India nearly a decade after his last appearance in the country, but his role is very different this time. The former Uruguay striker is now in the dugout, preparing his national team for their October 6 friendly against India in Kolkata while also offering his thoughts on what Indian football needs to produce better players.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the match, Forlan was asked what India must do to raise the standard of its footballers. His answer did not focus on the senior national team or any quick fix. Instead, he pointed to the foundation of the game — academies, young players and regular access to football.
“It’s not an easy question, but you need to build from the roots. Academies, young players, kids, to start playing a lot.”
Forlan believes a stronger grassroots structure can eventually create a stronger professional game.
“If you build more academies, the league gets stronger and stronger, you will achieve getting more players and getting better players, that’s for sure.”
His comments came after he watched India suffer a 4-0 defeat to Brazil at Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. While Brazil eventually established a clear superiority, India showed glimpses in the opening stages that caught Forlan’s attention.
FORLAN SEES PROMISE IN INDIA’S YOUNG PLAYERS
Rather than focusing solely on the scoreline, Forlan noticed India’s willingness to combine, attack and try to play against one of the world’s strongest teams.
“You can see some combinations, some young players, some good players that you can see that if you give them time and space, they can damage and they can play well.”
Ryan Williams provided one of India’s biggest attacking threats, while Manvir Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad also produced moments of promise. India’s defensive line managed to catch Vinicius Jr offside several times early in the contest before Brazil gradually took control.
Estevao and Pedro scored before half-time, and the second half became increasingly difficult for India as Brazil’s quality and experience began to tell. The 4-0 result underlined the gap between the teams, but it also demonstrated the value of exposing India’s younger players to opponents operating at the highest level.
Forlan believes those experiences can accelerate development.
“I think this kind of game, playing against the best in the world, and also having more strong games, would improve the development of young players in the near future.”
India have faced a demanding run of opposition during the current window. Panama held them to a 1-1 draw in Bengaluru on September 25 before Brazil arrived in Kolkata. Uruguay now provide the next test on October 6.
Such matches expose players to the realities of elite football — less time on the ball, greater pressure and much harsher punishment for mistakes.
But the real test will come after the international window, when those players return to their clubs.
FORLAN’S INDIA CONNECTION RUNS DEEP
Forlan’s understanding of Indian football comes from personal experience.
In 2016, he joined Mumbai City as the club’s marquee player and captain, playing alongside Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri during the early years of the Indian Super League.
He also enjoyed a memorable night in Kolkata that season. On October 25, 2016, Forlan scored the decisive goal as Mumbai City defeated Atletico de Kolkata 1-0 at Rabindra Sarobar Stadium.
He returned to Kolkata later that campaign for the semi-final, where he was sent off during Mumbai City’s 3-2 first-leg defeat as Atletico eventually advanced.
Almost 10 years later, Forlan is back in Kolkata — but this time as Uruguay’s coach.
The perspective has changed. He is no longer the marquee player expected to produce the decisive moment. Instead, he is assessing India’s players and the system that develops them.
That makes his emphasis on academies particularly significant.
Forlan has seen enough of Indian football to recognise that talent exists. The bigger question is whether enough young players are entering the development system and receiving the coaching, competition and playing time needed to progress.
More academies, by themselves, will not transform Indian football. But a broader and better-organised development structure could give clubs a larger pool of players to work with while providing the national team with greater depth.
The process, as Forlan suggested, has to begin well before a player reaches the senior national team.
URUGUAY PROVIDE INDIA’S NEXT CHALLENGE
India now face another formidable opponent at Salt Lake Stadium on October 6.
Uruguay arrive in Kolkata after a 4-1 victory over South Korea, with several established names in their squad. Captain Federico Valverde, however, is unavailable because of injury. Forlan is also overseeing a team in transition after taking charge following Marcelo Bielsa’s departure.
- The Uruguay coach is expecting India to provide a serious challenge.
- “You have to respect everybody. We know it’s not going to be easy.”
For India, the match offers another chance to build on the positive moments from the Brazil game. The Panama draw showed the team can compete in a different type of contest, while the Brazil defeat demonstrated how quickly mistakes can be punished against elite opposition.
Uruguay will present yet another test.
Forlan will watch from the opposite dugout, nearly a decade after he last walked onto a Kolkata pitch as a player. He will see an Indian side that has evolved since his ISL days, with a new generation attempting to close the gap with international football’s stronger teams.
His larger message, however, goes far beyond Tuesday’s friendly.
India cannot rely on occasional high-profile international matches alone to produce a consistently competitive national team. The real value of games against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay will be determined by what Indian players take back to their clubs and academies — and whether those lessons help create better players, stronger teams and a deeper football ecosystem over time.
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