Former India international goalkeeper and Arjuna Awardee Subrata Paul, who currently serves as Director, National Teams, described accompanying the five-member Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) delegation during their Kolkata visit as a valuable learning experience.
The CBF delegation visited Kolkata to assess the facilities and arrangements ahead of the much-anticipated India-Brazil FIFA international friendly, scheduled to be played on October 3
at the Salt Lake Stadium, also known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
During their visit, the Brazilian officials inspected the stadium and its facilities, the proposed practice ground, five-star hotel arrangements and the AIFF Centre of Excellence. The delegation’s primary objective was to observe and understand the infrastructure, operational
arrangements and protocols involved in hosting the Brazil national team.
Subrata Paul accompanied the delegation throughout their Kolkata visit and closely observed how the Brazilian officials assessed various aspects of the arrangements.
Speaking about the experience, Paul said, “They are very professional and understand the protocols and processes extremely well.” He added, “It has been a great learning experience for us to understand how these things are handled at this level.”
Paul also explained that the CBF officials were not providing detailed responses during the inspection, as they were focused on documenting their observations. “At the moment, they are not providing any detailed responses. They are documenting everything and will compile all their observations and share them with me once they return,” he said.
Brazil’s much-awaited visit to Kolkata has generated significant excitement, with the city gearing up to host one of the biggest international football fixtures in recent Indian football history.
