“I Don’t Care”: Jamil Unfazed by Ancelotti’s Striking Remark; Turns Focus to Panama
“I don’t care. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” Jamil said at the pre-match press conference. Rather than engage with the wider conversation surrounding Indian football, Jamil immediately brought the focus back to the task in front of his team.
Xtratime Webdesk: The attention around India’s upcoming football fixtures has extended beyond the pitch, but Khalid Jamil is not allowing the noise to become a distraction. With Carlo Ancelotti’s assessment of Indian football prompting debate ahead of Brazil’s meeting with India, the India head coach was asked for his response before the Panama friendly. Jamil, however, chose not to add to the discussion.
“I don’t care. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” Jamil said at the pre-match press conference.
Rather than engage with the wider conversation surrounding Indian football, Jamil immediately brought the focus back to the task in front of his team.
“I just want to focus on tomorrow’s match against Panama,” he added.
That approach reflects the immediate challenge facing India. Panama, ranked 44th in the world and fresh from their appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, provide a serious test before India face Brazil and Uruguay in October.
For Jamil, the three-match window is also an opportunity to assess his squad against opposition operating at a higher level. The coach has combined younger players with experienced campaigners, with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Manvir Singh and Anirudh Thapa among the senior names in the group.
The India coach is also not planning to approach the Panama game with a purely defensive mindset. Against stronger opposition, Jamil believes his side must be capable of changing its approach depending on how the match develops.
“We are playing a stronger team. At the same time, you cannot defend all the time. So there will be a mix of defending and attacking also. According to the situation, we will react.”
That balance could prove important as India begin a demanding run of fixtures. Panama will be followed by Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6, giving Jamil three opportunities to measure his squad against teams that featured at the 2026 World Cup.
Jamil has previously stressed the value of facing stronger opposition, saying such matches can give Indian players greater international exposure and help them learn from the experience.
For now, though, the Brazil conversation can wait. Jamil's immediate benchmark is Panama and what India can produce once the discussion moves from opinions to 90 minutes of football.
