# Bhutia slams AIFF for Rs 50-70 crore Brazil friendly, skipping ASEAN Cup 2026-08-14T14:23:17+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia has criticised the All India Football Federation's decision to pull out of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup in favour of a friendly against Brazil, calling the reported Rs 50-70 crore cost difficult to justify while clubs face a financial crisis. India will face the five-time world champion in Kolkata on October 3, a scheduling clash that led the AIFF to prioritise the marquee fixture over the FIFA-recognised tournament, which has teams like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In an interview with PTI, Bhutia accused AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey of misguiding the government and said the money would be better spent supporting clubs like East Bengal, which qualified for the AFC Champions League 2 but struggles financially. The criticism comes as the ISL season was delayed and shortened due to commercial uncertainty, and Tata Steel exited Jamshedpur FC. ## Coverage - sportstar.thehindu.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: AIFF, ASEAN Cup, Bhaichung Bhutia, Brazil, East Bengal, Kalyan Chaubey Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bhutia-slams-aiff-for-pulling-out-of-asean-cup-for-brazil-friendly/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bhutia-slams-aiff-for-pulling-out-of-asean-cup-for-brazil-friendly/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.