The Tata Group-owned club announced on Friday that it will cease operations after the ongoing Durand Cup campaign, citing strategic shifts. Chhetri, who continues to lead Bengaluru FC, hailed the Tata Group\u2019s immense contribution to Indian football over the decades, warning that their exit from the country's top flight would leave an irreplaceable void.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. But when everything around looks like it will crumble, you bank on family to hold on to each other. And more often than not, it is the elders in the house that you turn to, for assurance. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAll of you at the TATA Group, through TFA first, and then @JamshedpurFC, have been one of our pillars. To know that Jamshedpur has folded first team operations is a punch to the gut,\u201d Chhetri wrote on his \u2018X\u2019 account on Sunday. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. But when everything around looks like it will crumble, you bank on family to hold on to each other. And more often than not, it is the elders in the house that you turn to, for assurance. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Urging the club\u2019s management to step back into the fold for the greater good of the sport, Chhetri added, \u201cI understand that some tough decisions in sport are down to what makes sense in the board room. But I can only request and hope that the think tank at TATA picks their heart over head and reconsiders this call. It might be a poor business decision, but it will be the one Indian football needs the most at this hour.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n