# Brazilian expert overhauled Salt Lake pitch for India friendly

2026-09-29T17:06:44+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

A Brazilian turf expert spent a month in Kolkata to prepare the Salt Lake Stadium pitch for India's friendly against five-time World Cup champion Brazil on October 3. Ivan Nascimento, sent by the Brazilian Football Confederation at the AIFF's request, levelled the uneven soil, aerated the ground, controlled fungus, and repainted the playing lines to meet international standards. The All India Football Federation pulled all stops after an earlier CBF inspection found the pitch unfit. However, not everyone welcomes the spectacle. Former India captain Baichung Bhutia urged fans to boycott the game over what he called a misuse of money. Other former players and a leading football writer told National Herald the expensive friendlies are a marketing gimmick that will not help grassroots development or the national team in the long run. Ticket sales for the Brazil and Uruguay friendlies have been slow beyond an initial sellout of 10,000 discounted tickets. The AIFF has offered further discounts through Kolkata clubs. India drew 1-1 with Panama in Bengaluru last week.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The Hindu's account is a straight, inside-story feature on the pitch renovation led by a Brazilian expert, with no mention of finances or criticism. National Herald leads with a controversy: it reports former players and a journalist calling the friendly a costly 'gimmick' that drains AIFF coffers without helping grassroots football. The two sources report the same event but diverge sharply on the question of value. The balanced reading is that while the turf is fit for the match, the deeper debate about whether such friendlies justify their expense remains open. Ticket sales and AIFF's cost recovery numbers, once available, will settle the fiscal claim.

## Coverage

- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/football-behind-the-scenes-on-how-salt-lake-is-being-readied-for-indias-clash-with-brazil/article71524343.ece>
  Straight technical feature on pitch renovation, no financial or political angle
- nationalheraldindia.com (government critical) <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/football/brazil-game-jury-out-on-whether-the-friendlies-will-help-indian-football>
  Leads with criticism from former players on cost and long-term utility

Tags: AIFF, Baichung Bhutia, Brazil national football team, India national football team, Kolkata, Salt Lake Stadium
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