How Joni Kauko is going to waste his talent in India - and what can be done to prevent another Kauko moment?

On 14 July 2021, I woke up only to receive a blowing new that even for some European football fans, might also perceive as a surprise. Of course, not that case of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, not even close. But the player here has triggered a lot of tense debate about whenever did he really think it was right or only just to impress for more money.

Yes, we're talking about Joni Kauko.

The Finnish midfielder, who was notorious for being the back of the Finnish squad that successfully took part in the country's first-ever UEFA European Championship, played in 2021, has stunned pundits by announcing that he would leave Europe for a rickshaw trip to India, by signing with Indian giant Mohun Bagan. At the age of 31, he is no longer young, but still on that age, he could also choose to represent clubs in Serbian, Croatian, Greek, Scottish or Turkish leagues, where football infrastructures are far more developed and wealthier to maintain fitness. Maybe he could have chosen South Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Japan or the United States. But Kauko stunned all by rejecting every kind of possible contracts only for a trip to the world's second most populous country.

Currently, the club plays in the Super League, the highest level of India's football pyramid. Because India doesn't apply the promotion-relegation system, India has been described as an outcast, a title given not only to India but also Canada, Australia and the United States. This "outcast" branding for India, however, is more than just a title - it is also a reflection of the country's current state of football here.

India is not known as a country addicted to the king of sport. Like the Indian subcontinent, cricket is the biggest and hottest news among Indians. There has been no renowned Indian footballers for quite a long time, and even the country missed its 1950 World Cup debut in Brazil only due to barefoot problems. In recent years, Indian authorities have begun taking measures to improve the country's football status. It's possible due to the dream of the current nationalist PM of India, Narendra Modi, who wants India to become the newest superpower.

One of India's first big acts in football was to launch the Super League in 2014, and this was a success. For the first three seasons, it was run without recognition by the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and FIFA, leaving the league orphaned. In 2016 however, the AFC and FIFA agreed to integrate the Super League into the football calendar, thus the winner of Indian Super League can take part in AFC Cup, the second-tier AFC club competition. Boosted by the Super League, India also bid - then won - the rights to host the U-17 World Cup in 2017; this tournament marked India's first-ever involvement in the World Cup at all age level.

But, there is a problem.

Like all kind of the infant football top leagues, India has an urgent issue: facilities. India is a very big nation, yet Indian football facilities have been inadequate than standard. India has a number of big stadiums due to the country's economic status, which is easily found - yet many of them are badly maintained. This is also a contribution for India's somewhat below average performance in football arena in spite of high expectation.

Another problem is also Indian clubs. We may say Indian clubs are new, but let's not forget this is also the same issues for American, Australian and upcoming Canadian teams due to their first hand taste with football. But unlike the American, Australian and Canadian, Indian clubs lack a lot of thing to make it professional: training ground, good pitch, necessary budget, general staff, health organisation, etc, something that should not happen in a country that built a "Super League" with such a big ambition. Just in 2020 AFC Champions League season, clubs from Qatar, UAE and Iran were horrified with the pitch of the Fatorda Stadium in Goa. Injuries also plagued players in Indian Super League. Likewise, Indian teams also have a lot of issues in licensing to maintain its survival, not to say about scandal of Indian football with Atlético Madrid, Spanish football giant.

But the biggest matter is the supporters, an obstacle can't be answered by day one. After early enthusiasm, Indian football league is seeing a massive drop in attendance, a real challenge as India's inadequate football programs have not attracted enough people playing. Simultaneously, despite more and more foreign marquees have arrived to India for this, so far, it has not transcended into a major boost for the national team. The Indian side remains dismal in shape and performance, which should have not been a case for a country with over 1,4 billion people.

Unfortunately, short-sighted understanding and little clearance had put Joni Kauko into a perilous path of continuing career in India. While he may shine in the Indian Super League, the outcome will not be warmly received as it can become a source of criticism, given India's lack of recognition in this sport and the poor quality of Indian footballers (apart from the likes of Sunil Chhetri or recent export Sandesh Jhingan). After Kauko's move to India, the current coach of Finland, Markku Kanerva, has dropped him from all the team's plans, not because of politics but because of Kauko's India decision.

Can we prevent another Kauko's moments? Well, it is not clear how can we deal with it, considering how Joni Kauko enthusiastically stated about his move to India. It is not wrong to transfer to India, but at least the work has to be from the Indians themselves, if they really want to make the country a bigger name in a sport that has just begun to gain grip here. Not just that, India needs to require all things about football, including knowledge and backup, if it wants to become a big player.

A lesson draws no where far is the story of two famed South Americans, Marco Etcheverry (Bolivia) and Carlos Valderrama (Colombia), when they ventured to the United States after the country set up the Major League Soccer following a successful FIFA World Cup in 1994. Their contribution was significant as it helped to galvanise the sport in the States and allowed it to be fed with greater optimism. A similar story is happening in Down Under when former internationals, Marc Janko, Robert Koren and Alessandro Diamanti, helped to utilise the hidden potential of Australian football after successfully established a healthy background, gave chances for the likes of former (and also famous) internationals like Daniel Sturridge, Aleksandar Prijović, Rene Krhin and Marco Ureña, to arrive and popularise the sport across the country. The U.S. and Australia also have prestigious World Cup past to speak in favour of.

The lesson of Joni Kauko can be a severe turnover of India as his arrival can either mark a new era of Indian football, or it'll drag Indian football backward. The latter is more likely due to short-sighted plan of Indian football makers and the fact that Kauko is still not going to retire from the Finnish side, for now. It's up for football lovers in India to face a reality: Joni Kauko's arrival, will be a drain, not a triumph, for Indian football.