India national coach Igor Stimac has called the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant halt in the football calendar a "perfect opportunity for India to dramatically change" the structure of domestic football.

Stimac, who was speaking to WION, said there was an urgent need to reduce the number of foreign players in club football and to have a longer season with more matches. He urged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to work with the central government and tweak citizenship regulations so...

The Covid-19 pandemic hasn't just stopped sporting competition, it has brought the sporting economy to a shuddering halt. In India, the lockdown and its longer-term implications threaten the future of clubs, academies, leagues, support staff, all the people who help move the wheels of sport. In this series, ESPN will look across the sporting ecosystem, from the big clubs to the neighbourhood academies, to see how they've been affected.

FC Bengaluru United (FCBU) were in the top four In their I-League...

On May 10, Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri pulled off the near impossible -- he got former striker (and generally reticent ) IM Vijayan to do a lengthy Instagram chat, discussing the latter's stellar career for club and country.

While Chhetri started his career with Mohun Bagan in 2002, Vijayan played his last international the following year, and both players expressed regret at not getting to play with each other during Sunday's chat. Here are the most interesting talking points from the...

The 3 (Foreigners) + 1 (Asian) recruit rule should be applicable to all Indian domestic league competitions after the 2021 season onwards, the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) technical committee has unanimously recommended.

This rule would mean that a maximum of four foreigners (one of whom must be Asian) can take to the field as opposed to the five foreigners (continent no bar) that current regulations allow in Indian competitions.

This new recommendation is in line with current Asian Football...

Messi's left foot. Nadal's resilience. Going a bit further back, Bolt's loping stride. Each sporting champion has a variety of skills and attributes but there's always one that puts them a cut above the rest. In this series we look at top Indian athletes and identify that one quality that makes them stand out. This week: Sunil Chhetri hates losing. Even in table tennis.

Who is Sunil Chhetri?

Captain of the Indian national football team, and of Bengaluru FC.

Why the big fuss?

Simply put, India's...