If leagues in Delhi didn't exist, Sunil Chhetri might not have existed: Ranjit Bajaj

The common question that Indian football fans ask among themselves is who Sunil Chhetri's next successor will be. Countless names do the rounds but not a single name is taken from Delhi, where the 36-year-old first began his journey with City FC.

Speaking with Indranil Basu at SKLive, the newly-formed Delhi FC owner Ranjit Bajaj said of Sunil Chhetri:

"People seem to forget that Sunil Chhetri came from Delhi. He played in the leagues of Delhi and then he went to Kolkata. So, if leagues in Delhi didn't exist Sunil Chhetri might not have existed."

"Every person judges a country from its capital. A foreigner doesn't know that our football culture lies in Goa or Kolkata. One of the main reasons why I formed a club in Delhi was to make sure that people know that football exists properly there. It has the best facilities and the best crowds."

After managing just over 7000 in average attendance figures in the 2018-19 season of ISL, Delhi Dynamos relocated their base to Odisha.

Bajaj continued:

"People say that the crowd isn't there. What they don't know is that Ambedkar Stadium used to be full. And, people used to be outside because they couldn't get an entry in. So, it is possible. That's my dream to make it happen again."

With no club in ISL or I-League, Delhi was devoid of regular football action. However, Ranjit Bajaj wants to make sure that that the fans don't feel its absence. He signed off by saying:

"In fact, Delhi FC has already got the entire fanbase of ISL club Delhi Dynamos. The ultras of Delhi Dynamos have shifted their loyalty because the club now is not here anymore. And, they are saying we are going to support Delhi FC from the bottom. They will be taking this journey with me."