Anwar Ali an asset for India, must stay away from controversy - Chhetri

Former captain Sunil Chhetri on Thursday termed centre back Anwar Ali an "asset" for Indian football while urging players across the spectrum to stay away from controversies as much as possible.

Anwar was handed a four-month ban by All India Football Federation (AIFF) in early September with the governing body holding the player "guilty" of terminating his contract with Mohun Bagan in an unjust manner and signing a new deal with East Bengal, having returned to his parent club Delhi FC.

AIFF also sought a compensation amounting to Rs 12.90 crore from Delhi FC and East Bengal.

"I do not know the nitty-gritty of the thing. I don't know exactly what happened. Just purely on Anwar, because I love him and he knows it, he's one of the assets of the national team. I would want him to stay away from controversies as much as possible," Chhetri told PTI in an exclusive interview.

However, AIFF's Player Status Committee issued him a No Objection Certificate following a directive by the Delhi H