Sunil Chhetri can compete in the Portuguese top tier, believes Oceano da Cruz

Sunil Chhetri can compete in the Portuguese top tier, believes Oceano da Cruz

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AIFF

Iran coach Carlos Quieroz’s right-hand man Oceano da Cruz has heaped praise on Sunil Chhetri and mentioned that the Indian forward is still capable of playing in the top tier of Portuguese football. Chhetri enjoyed stints with the reserve team of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal earlier in his career.

Former Sporting Lisbon coach and current assistant coach of the Iran men’s football team Oceano da Cruz revealed that he is a big fan of veteran Indian forward - Sunil Chhetri. The Portuguese coach even added that despite being on the wrong side of 30, Chhetri is still capable of playing in the Portuguese top tier league.

“I saw a much more mature player, still with great ability and quality. His leadership skills were there for all to see. He was on a par with the players. He trained every day and competed for a starting position like all others. One issue that he faced was that he didn’t play often enough, as he deserved, in the B (reserves) team. The B team policy was to give playing time to younger players.

“I always felt, and still believe, that Sunil has the ability and character to compete in the top-tier of the Portuguese league, or elsewhere. As with all players, they need the right opportunities,” Oceano, who made more than 400 appearances for the club and coached the senior team, told TOI reporters.

Despite being assigned to a different group, Oceano kept a close eye on the performance of the Indian team who were clubbed in Group A during the AFC Asian Cup in the UAE. The 56-year-old coached Chhetri when he was at Sporting Lisbon almost seven years ago. The Indian captain also spent some time in the MLS with New York Kansas City but cut short his European dream in 2013 to return home.

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