Arsenal heroes Sol Campbell, Ray Parlour stunned by football fan base in India

How has your time in India been?

Ray Parlour: The support we have got from the crowd has been absolutely superb. I'm coming to Mumbai for the first time and it's great to see such a huge Arsenal fan base. It's great to see the way people love the club.

Sol Campbell: It's been fantastic for me here. The crowd has been very vocal. That means that people here are passionate about their football. It's only good for Indian football.

What do you think was the main reason you managed to stay unbeaten in the 2003-2004 'Invincibles' season?

RP: Basically, we had a lot of winners in that team. We did have a little luck too. But I think the reason we won was because we had a lot of depth in that squad. We did have injuries and suspensions, but we had good back-up. It was a brilliant squad. Nobody expected at the start of the season that we'll go unbeaten. The last 10 games was when we felt the pressure. The press wrote stories of how we weren't beaten yet. Thankfully, the lads could cope with it.

Why do you think Arsenal haven't really been able to live up to that standard?

SC: A lot of money had to be put in for the stadium. That wasn't articulated properly to the fans. The stadium was a big strain for the club, financially. Now that it's settled, the club can afford to buy good players. They can buy in the £35-40 million mark. They are not at the £70-million mark yet, but at least they can buy good players. But the thing is that everyone else is improving their squad too. That's why proper scouting and buying the right players is the key.

Do you think any team is capable of winning the English Premier League unbeaten again?

SC: You never say never. Some teams have come so close, but lost (their way towards the end). It's so competitive that you can't afford to take even the bottom-placed team lightly. You saw how Chelsea were in excellent form, and after the Christmas break they played Tottenham and lost. So it happens. You have to have depth in your squad but, more importantly, you need luck. Even though you may have the best team, a scenario chooses you, you don't choose it.

Sol, you received a lot of flak for leaving Tottenham Hotspur to join Arsenal in 2001. Then you became an 'Invincible' with a draw at White Hart Lane. What do you think was better — winning the league undefeated of sealing the deal at you former club?

SC: I'll have to say for me, winning at While Hart Lane was better than becoming an 'Invincible'.

That's quite a statement...

SC: For whatever reason God above made that game (against Tottenham). It could have been two games after, but no, it just had to be that game. It would have been better had we won that match. Actually, it would have even been better if I scored (laughs). On a serious note, the game was an indication why I moved to Arsenal — to win trophies. Yes, I know a lot of people were angry with me, some more than angry with that scenario. But winning that trophy at my previous club is a memory I cherish. You never forget such things in a lifetime.

Sol, you have been quite vocal against racism. Do you think things have improved in England?

SC: England has come a long way. A lot of good societies have come up against racism. The FA has helped. They could be more vocal. But a lot of people work extremely hard to unsure that fans don't use racist chants. You want a family environment at the game. You come to support your club. But when it goes beyond that, it's a problem. That's not sport. There's no place for that. Around the world, some countries find it very difficult to deal with it (racism). At the same time, countries have used football to keep out wars. Similarly, you can use football to do good. Unfortunately, racism still happens, especially in the lower leagues where the cameras are not on. But, I think as a whole, we've made great strides.

Russian football fans have a history of racially abusing players. How do you think that will affect the 2018 World Cup?

SC: Russia, their government and the authorities have to work very hard over the next couple of years. They must ensure racism is eradicated. Or at least pushed out from football stadiums. When it comes to sport, if you want to represent yourself as a forward-thinking country, these things should be sorted out.


—The interaction was felicitated by PUMA, Arsenal FC's new kit suppliers