EXCLUSIVE: FourFlags Founder Sonu Lamba opens up on representing Sunil Chhetri, Indian players abroad, evolving role of player agents & more | Part 1
FourFlags represent players like Sunil Chhetri, Anirudh Thapa and more.
Indian football has undergone a significant change in the last decade following the introduction of the Indian Super League (ISL), which in some way or another has contributed to bringing professionalism and commercial structure to the sport in India.
With multiple players featuring in Indian football across various leagues such as the ISL, IFL, SLK, etc., the role of a player agent/agency becomes crucial. And one such prominent figure is Mr. Sonu Lamba, the Founder/Director of FourFlags, who has helped bridge the gap between the players and the clubs.
Sonu Lamba has been involved in several aspects of the country’s football ecosystem and has represented some of India’s leading footballers and upcoming youngsters.
In an exclusive conversation with Khel Now, Mr Lamba opened up about the ecosystem of player agents in India, his relationship with Sunil Chhetri, why Indian players don’t feature abroad and much more!
Here, in this article we will dive deep into part 1 of this conversation, with the part 2 set to follow soon.
On his long-standing relationship with Sunil Chhetri
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Sonu Lamba’s association with the Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri is not new and unknown, and goes far beyond the football pitch.
When we asked Mr. Lamba about his and FourFlags’ association with Sunil Chhetri, he said, “I have personally known Sunil Chhetri since 1996. We were together in school, and even at that age, Sunil stood out. He was probably the best sportsman in our school — whether it was football, volleyball, cricket or badminton, he excelled at everything.”
“We became good friends, but I have always been more of a fan of Sunil than anything else, and honestly, that has not changed even today.”
“The relationship between FourFlags and Sunil started in 2013. Interestingly, three journeys began around the same time — FourFlags, Sunil Chhetri and Bengaluru FC. Looking back, it has been a remarkable ride. What makes the relationship special is that it has evolved beyond the traditional player-agent relationship. There is a tremendous amount of trust and mutual respect, and after all these years, I still feel privileged to be part of his journey,” he added.
Why most Indian footballers don’t move abroad and prefer sticking to ISL?
This is something which has been among the most debatable topics in Indian football.
When we asked Mr. Lamba whether Indian players are getting too comfortable in the ISL and are not looking to pursue opportunities abroad, he somewhat disagreed!
He said, “I would somewhat disagree with that, at least based on my experience with the players I have worked with.”
Mr. Lamba further explained, “The players I represent have consistently shown an ambition to play abroad and test themselves in more competitive environments. I don’t believe it is simply the comfort or the salaries available in the ISL that prevent Indian players from moving overseas.”
“More often than not, the issue is finding the right opportunity. Football is a global marketplace, and when an Indian player looks to move abroad, he is competing for opportunities with players from some of the strongest footballing nations in Asia, South America, Africa and Europe. There are also structural realities. Just as the ISL has restrictions around the number of foreign players a club can field, other leagues have their own regulations, foreign-player quotas and registration requirements.”
“So, for me, the conversation should not simply be about whether Indian players want to go abroad. The more important question is whether we are creating players who are ready for those opportunities and whether the right pathways exist to make those moves sustainable.”
Evolution of a football agent’s role in India
The role of a player agent is very important for not only the individuals they are representing, but also the sport in general. While in the European market, player agents are treated as celebrities, the case is not the same in India right now.
However, in the last 10-15 years, the scenario has changed in India.
When we asked Mr. Lamba how the role of football agents has changed in Indian football, he said, “When I started my journey in 2014, the landscape was very different. There was a lack of trust and understanding around the role of agents, both from players and clubs. Many clubs were reluctant to involve agents, and many players did not fully understand their own contracts or the commercial and legal aspects of their careers.”
“The emergence of the Indian Super League played an important role in bringing greater professionalism and commercial structure to Indian football. I also want to acknowledge the I-League clubs, which carried Indian football for many years and kept the ecosystem alive.”
“Running a football club in India has never been easy. Today, the role has evolved significantly. Even clubs operating at lower levels increasingly understand that working with professional agents can make the process smoother for everyone.”
“Earlier, an agent’s job was largely viewed as negotiating contracts and assisting with legal formalities. Today, that is only one part of the job. A modern football agent has to be a 360-degree career manager. We deal with contracts, transfers, career planning, communication, commercial opportunities, social media, financial coordination, mentoring and sometimes even the small personal decisions that affect a player’s professional life. At times, it can genuinely feel like you are running a small management company around one player,” he further added.
Do Indian footballers prioritise money & fame over career development when choosing clubs?
Another very common topic of discussion in Indian football is whether sometimes talented Indian players prioritise money and fame over playing time while choosing a club.
There have been multiple instances where some players after becoming sensations moved to big clubs and overnight became a forgotten story. However, there have also been cases where multiple players grew their stature with quality development.
Mr. Lamba however believes that it is unfair to say that this is always the case; money and recognition should be outcomes of career development, not substitutes for it.
He said, “I don’t think it is fair to say that this is always the case. A player generally wants to be in an environment where he feels valued, where he believes he has a genuine opportunity for playing time, and where the coach’s philosophy suits his style of football.”
“Financial considerations are important, but they are not necessarily the first consideration for every player. The bigger issue is that the pathway for young Indian players is still not as clearly structured as it is in some of the more developed footballing nations.”
“An 18-year-old player in a strong European football ecosystem may have several options — a top academy, a second team, a lower division, a loan pathway, or a development programme — all with a reasonably defined route towards senior football.”
“In India, an 18-year-old may have far fewer meaningful options. He might have to choose between a club with a strong youth structure and a senior team playing at a lower level, without a clearly defined pathway connecting the two.”
“So, when we talk about money and fame, I believe we also need to understand the ecosystem in which these decisions are being made. Ultimately, money and recognition should be outcomes of career development, not substitutes for it.”
Can an Indian footballer succeed in a foreign league?
Indian football is currently stuck in a loophole where the majority of the Indian footballers just reach the peak of playing their club football in the Indian Super League (ISL) and never make a move to foreign leagues and succeed.
There are, however, multiple young players who play in the lower divisions abroad, but there are not any who feature in the first or the second division leagues.
When we asked Mr. Lamba about this, he showed confidence and said that there is potential in Indian footballers to prove themselves in top foreign leagues. But he also believes that the wider football ecosystem in India needs to improve to make this a possibility in the near future.
He explained, “Absolutely. I have no doubt that Indian players have the potential to play regularly in strong foreign leagues. But potential alone is not enough. We need to build the ecosystem around that potential. If every ISL and I-League club had strong U14, U17 and U19 programmes, and those players were consistently playing 30–40 genuinely competitive matches every season, we would create a much larger pool of players capable of competing at a high level.”
“Talent is not our biggest problem. The volume and quality of competitive development is. If we can improve youth development, coaching, sports science, nutrition, physical preparation, competition and exposure, I believe the number of Indian players capable of succeeding abroad will increase significantly.”
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