FIFA World Cup-winning German legend Lothar Matthaus delivered clear advice, looking forward to the future of Indian football, during his visit to the city on Sunday. Matthaus, who has been chosen as the brand ambassador of the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL) to be held in Bengal, emphasized the initiatives to develop the quality of coaching at the grassroots level for the nation’s ultimate football progress.

Matthaus gave a reference to Cape Verde’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and commented. “When you see Cape Verde for example, they qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026, it’s a country with 5 Lakh people and then I ask you, you will not tell me they have better and more talents than the players from India, but you have to work very well together, Federation, with the government, with the football clubs, with the academies and you have to find the right teachers, teachers mean coaches.”

Drawing an analogy between education and football development, he added, “This is the same in the school, when you have a good teacher and a good professor, you get good students, when you have good coaches in the youth age and later in the age of over 18, then you will get better players and then you get better players, you will make better results and this can be the way for the Indian football in the future.”

Matthaus was in Kolkata as the chief guest for the final of the inaugural Kolkata Police Women’s Friendship Cup Football Tournament, held at the Body Guard Lines.

He was also the chief guest of the Indian Football Association’s (IFA) annual prize distribution at the city’s historic Town Hall on the day. He presented the Champion’s Trophy to the CFL Premier Division winner, East Bengal. During the prize distribution function, Matthaus had a brief fun with East Bengal coach Bino George, who was awarded the ‘Best Coach of the Year.’

However, during his interaction with reporters, the German great also revisited an age-old debate — Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi? He admitted that the comparison was nearly impossible. “It’s a very difficult question and I cannot give you an answer because the time has changed as football has been faster like all other activities around the world. I can say Maradona was the best of my generation.”

Pressed to choose between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Matthaus admitted his personal preference leans toward the Argentine. “For me, Messi, but I like only his style more than Ronaldo, but I think when you speak about who is better, I think it’s the same, the feeling, how you like to see the football. Messi is more technical, Ronaldo is more powerful, and I am more for the technical football. This doesn’t mean Ronaldo has no technique, but Messi’s technique is better,” he said.