'Kapitan' Jhingan's European dream

“I am just a kid from Chandigarh who is running after a big dream and willing to work hard for it.” As he said this, Sandesh Jhingan leaned back in a bare-walled room with a television playing his arrival in HNK Sibenik on a loop. The Croatian top division club will be Jhingan’s home for this season with the option of renewing for another.

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The deal to make Jhingan the third Indian after Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Bala Devi to play in the top tier of an European football league was months in the making, said Eduardo Zapata, one of the directors of the Colombian company that owns the club now eighth in the 10-team Croatian First Football League. Inputs from Igor Stimac, India’s head coach who is a former Croatia international, were taken after an agency from Madrid had forwarded the India central defender’s profile, he said.

“He is here because we needed someone in this position, it doesn’t matter whether he is Indian or from Argentina. He is a good player,” said Zapata. Having made the point about the signing being about football first, Zapata spoke about it as another step in creating a multi-cultural club (Sibenik has five Colombians and an Argentine, apart from Jhingan, as non-European players), one that could “help Croatia and India know each other better”.

Also Read | Always wanted to stay outside comfort zone: Jhingan on Croatia move

From Mohammed Salim, who went to Celtic in 1936, through Bhaichung Bhutia’s stint at Bury FC, Sunil Chettri signing for Kansas City Wizards and going to Portugal, Subrata Pal’s loan to FC Vestjaelland, Sandhu joining Norwegian club Stabaek and Devi’s deal at Rangers, no Indian was chosen because of their leadership. Jhingan has been, said Zapata.

“He is a kapitan, a leader and we already have one or two inside the group. Sandesh can help in a leadership role,” said Zapata. For the young players and academy cadets, Jhingan can be a good role model, said Zapata. “He is a disciplined guy, the kind we want to have in the club.”

Jhingan was in Qatar for India’s World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers when his agent told him Sibenik were interested. “I asked the gaffer (Stimac) and he told me the pros and cons. He also said he was close to the directors. He told me that the move will enhance my game,” said Jhingan who has 40 caps for India. Speaking to the media after India’s qualifiers in June, Stimac had said that as a defender Jhingan is one of the best in Asia but his passing needed improvement.

Also Read | Jhingan first Indian footballer to play in Croatia top-tier league

The move takes Jhingan “out of his comfort zone”, one where he was one of India’s highest paid players with a secure five-year contract at ATK Mohun Bagan. Joining ATK Mohun Bagan in 2020 was also a validation of sorts for the player who was rejected by the Kolkata Maidan before signing for United Sikkim. "Bagan showed faith when people had changed their opinion about me after my injury", said Jhingan (an ACL tear had kept Jhingan, then with Kerala Blasters, out for 13 months). And yet it was time to move.

“Every Asian has a desire to move to Europe. This is where I would be tested more. If I can put in the work and get into the first 11, ‘well done, Sandesh’. If I can’t, ‘work harder, Sandesh,’” he said, speaking after Zapata in the virtual interaction from Sibenik on the Adriatic coast. “It’s a small, beautiful town where my wife and I have been made to feel at home,” said Jhingan, 28.

No numbers were discussed but Jhingan didn’t dispute that he would be losing money by moving abroad. “But then I felt I was at the right age to take this challenge,” he said, spreading his arms.

By now, Jhingan was looking distracted. The connectivity too was spotty and soon Jhingan asked to be excused. “I have a gym session now.” The first Indian in the Croatian top-flight can’t be late. Not when he is being signed as a role model. Not when he has a dream to chase.

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