Arsene Wenger, the Chief of Global Football Development, FIFA and Arsenal’s legendary coach, in his first-ever trip to India, had an interaction with the heads of a select group of football academies from across the country as well as with the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and secretary Satyanarayan M at Football House in New Delhi on Monday.

Wenger and his team from the FIFA Talent Development Scheme are currently on a three-day visit to India in connection with the AIFF-FIFA Academy to be inaugurated in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday on 21st November. 

Wenger however said, “I would say I was always fascinated by India. My target is to improve football in the world. And it is impossible that a country like India with 1.4 billion people, is not on the football world map.”

He added, “I believe you have huge assets, fantastic qualities that make me very optimistic about what you can do here. It is absolutely fantastic to have that opportunity. And with my team, we are really highly motivated to help this country develop in the game. I'm convinced that it's possible in the very short term.”

Explaining how a well-oriented talent development scheme can change the face of the game in a country, Wenger described, “I was in Japan at the start of their football in 1995. In 1998, they were at the World Cup. So that means it is possible. You have to start early. We have to start with technique. Football is a technical sport. We have to equip the players from five to 15 with the best possible capacity to be technically at the top. That means, basically, to make it simple, is to make the ball his friend. The rest can be developed later. And this is absolutely vital.

So, this is where we have to start and that's where we want to help people to make young players technically perfect. The start of our programme is to identify the talent and then put the best talents together.” 

Speaking on India’s potential aspirations and goals, the 74-year-old manager revealed, “So imagine the potential that is here if we work well. And my main target here is to convince people that there is a gold mine here but at the moment it is not completely explored, exploited and encouraged.”