Calcutta: Even though a suggestion has recently been made to India coach Bob Houghton to include Jose Ramirez Barreto and other foreigners plying trade in the country, the Brazilian play-maker thinks the other way round: He is not interested to lose his Brazilian citizenship.

“It’s an honour to me that my name has been discussed in an AIFF meeting, but the Brazilian citizenship is the most precious thing I possess and I don’t want to lose it,” Barreto said on Sunday.

He, however, has his own suggestions to the development of Indian football, and incidentally, these are quite in similar to Houghton’s. “Apart from a good foreign coach, you also need a good support staff. The AIFF should look into appointing a foreign physio, a foreign psychologist and the like,” he opined.

“There is also a lack of professional approach both from the players and administrators’ ends. Since my arrival here six years ago, nothing has changed in this respect. I saw it in 1999 and it remains the same today that whenever there’s a national camp, the clubs and the federation are always at loggerheads about releasing the players. Success can’t be a bedfellow of unprofessionalism.

“You need to develop a strong under-20/21 side and them groom them under the guidance of a reputed foreign coach. You need to ensure that the side gets international exposure periodically throughout the year,” the Mohun Bagan player remarked.