ISL international draft: Atletico de Kolkata gets former UEFA Champions League winner Josemi

The Indian Super League’s international player draft took place in Mumbai on Thursday and Atletico de Kolkata made the headlines by picking up former Liverpool defender and UEFA Champions League winner Josemi.

Josemi is one of four Spaniards in the Kolkata franchise, whose co-owners are Atletico Madrid, with former Barcelona midfielder Jofre Mateu Gonzalez also getting picked.

Kerala Blasters FC also caught the eye as they roped in former Newcastle United and Sunderland striker Michael Chopra with the franchise’s player-manager David James making the key decisions during the draft.

Team Chennai, who replaced Bangalore as the league’s eighth franchise, picked up one of the two costliest players in former French international Bernard Mendy besides picking up former Manchester United midfielder Bojan Djordjic.

Team Goa picked up the other most expensive player in the draft as they signed French defender Gregory Arnolin.

49 players were up for grabs in the international draft with former French international Oliver Dacourt analysing the selections.

Seven other players were already signed earlier with three of the franchises – FC Pune City (Emanuele Belardi and Bruno Cirillo), Delhi Dynamos (Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo) and NorthEast United FC (Isaac Chansa and Cornell Glen) – using the quota of recruiting two outside the draft and Atletico Kolkata also roped in one player (Borja Fernandez).

The ISL is expected to kick off from October 12 with the final likely to be on December 20.

Draft picks

FC Pune City: Emanuele Belardi, Bruno Cirillo, Ivan Bolado Palacios, Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri, Omar Andres Rodriguez Martinez, Andres Felipe Gonzalez Ramirez, Park Kwang-Il

Delhi Dynamos: Mads Junker, Morten Skoubo, Bruno Herrero Arias, Gustavo Marmentini dos Santos, Marek Cech, Pavel Elias, Henrique Dinis Oliveira Dias

Team Goa: Miroslav Slepicka, Jan Seda, Bruno Filipe Tavares Pinheiro, Youness Bengelloun, Miguel Bruno Pereira Herlein, Gregory Arnolin, Edgar Carvalho Figueira Marcelino

Team Chennai: Bernard Mendy, Cristian Hidalgo Gonzalez, Gennaro Bracigliano, Bojan Djordjic, Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima, Jairo Andrez Suarez Carvajal, Eduardo Silva Lerma

NorthEast United FC: Isaac Chansa, Cornell Glen, Massamba Lô Sambou, Do Dong-Hyun, Guilherme Felipe De Castro, Tomas Josl, Luis Alfredo Yanes Padilla

Team Mumbai: Diego Fernando Nadaya, Jan Stohanzl, Francisco Javier Fernandez Luque, Pavel Cmovs, Johann Letzelter, Andre Matos Dias Pereira, Ilias Pollalis

Kerala Blasters FC: Michael Chopra, Ian Hume, Víctor Herrero Forcada, Erwin Spitzner, Pedro Adriano Veloso Gusmao, Cedric Hengbart, Raphael Romey

Atletico de Kolkata: Borja Fernandez, Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, Josemi, Arnal Llibert Conde Carbo, Sylvain Monsoreau, Jakub Podany, Apoula Edma Edel Bete

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Schedule of Indian Super League 2014

Right now, only start date of the competition is announced. The tournament is all set to start from 19th of September & will end in November.  This campaign is inspired by other cricket campaign which is Indian Premier League. Fixtures table calender is expected to be launched within few upcoming weeks. During a statement it was mentioned that: Keeping in view of the various key factors, including scheduling conflicts with the I-league and non-availability of stadium in Goa due to delay in Lusofonia Games- the committee has unanimously decided to launch the ISL on a permanent window of September to November starting from year 2014. This tournament is consists of 8 teams. Each of them have a team squad of 22 players which includes 7 foreign players, 14 domestic Indian players, 4 local Indian players & 1 marquee foreign player. Like IPL, each team will play 2 games against every team in home  & away format.. Based on points & rankings, top four teams will qualify for the knock out round which is semi final. Semi finals will be played in home & away. This means total of 4 semi finals matches will be played in Indian Super League. In the end, 2 teams will face each other in final which is one leg affair. With the launch of this football competition, the other tournament I-League is supposed to be in threat. It is criticized by observers that it will be the reason of collapse of India’s biggest soccer league. First season of ISL was to take place in the year of 2012, but somehow it was postponed. Looking on IPL success & craze of football among the Indian youngsters, AIFF planned to organize a campaign that can lift the level of this game at International level. In past few months, this is turned out the most growing sports game in India with millions of fans. - visit www.indiansuperleaguefootball.com

ISL-Hard Season

One of the key advantages that the cricket IPL has had over all the leagues that started mushrooming following its success, was that it had a very strong presence of current global stars. Hockey managed to create a small space for itself for almost the same reason. Other sports, however, have had limited, if any success with their leagues.
The other advantage is that the Indian sports fan is very partial to cricket. The reasons for that are many, and will warrant a separate debate. On the other hand, most other sports in India are struggling to fill even small stadiums and halls. The recent world-class hockey and badminton events are perfect examples. It is also no secret that domestic football is losing viewership, simply because there is so much world-class football available on television networks in India.
In such an environment, this week the football community, or at least a section of it, took a bold step, with the ‘sale’ of teams/franchises for an Indian Super League (ISL) that will have eight teams to start with. The teams will be owned and/or promoted by business magnates, film stars and a couple of iconic cricketers. They came together to stake ownership of the eight teams that were up for sale in Indian football for the ISL. Considering that football is the most popular sport in the world, it was about time there was a proper league for it.
So far, so good. And the value of the teams has been placed in tune with India’s standing in world soccer. It is being said that the teams have been bought for anything between $20 million to $30 million, give or take a little, for a period of 10 years. Seven years ago, the cheapest IPL team, Rajasthan Royals went for $67 million. So, the total amount fetched by the auction/sale of eight soccer franchises in 2014 was around one-fourth of what the cricket teams fetched originally in 2007-08.
In 2010 when the sale of two more IPL franchises happened, the combined price of the two was more than the combined price of eight original IPL teams. So, the perception was that the value of the franchises had increased manifold.
Interestingly, the two new teams, Kochi Tuskers (bought for $370 million) and Sahara-owned Pune Warriors (bought for $320 million), are no longer in the league for various reasons and controversies while another franchise, Deccan Chargers, officially changed hands and was won by the Sun Group in an auction/sale overseen by the BCCI/IPL itself for around $80 million for five years, beginning 2013.
Ever since the IPL showed the corporate houses that sport was indeed a way to ‘win friends and influence people’, a la Dale Carnegie style, they have been ‘queuing up’ to buy teams in different sports. They range from badminton, hockey, golf, kabaddi, wrestling, tennis — not necessarily in that order — and then there are many other sports waiting to set up leagues.
The sad part, (even as everybody mouths the same objective: “We are doing this to grow the sport”) is that everyone is hoping to strike gold, like the franchise owners in IPL seemed to have struck. The notional values of the franchises are huge, but there are numerous restrictions in stake sales and ownership patterns. An old business dictum says the only money you own is the money you have in the bank — even that may have some doubters — and the rest is notional.
It is also no secret that hardly any of the IPL franchises are profitable and excursions to South Africa and UAE are also a dampener. But they still prefer to hold on to the cricket portfolio, simply because it is a status issue. For many owners, IPL was the only reason they were getting noticed and they could also curry favours with many across the board.
Who doesn’t want to attend a match where you may bump into MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid or Sourav Ganguly at any of the dinners or VIP rooms. Owners can get their kid’s pictures taken with superstars, who may also attend their family birthdays, weddings, or mehendi. We all know why most of them do it. It is an expensive toy that can be flaunted.
So, talking of the worth of a franchise, unless one of the original ones in IPL actually completes a stake sale, will we know the real price. That might sound like a party-pooper, but it is the reality.
Indian football has had its own share of crises. They have originally had competitions like Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, the IFA Shield and various leagues in centres like Kolkata, Goa, Kerala, and so on. The Federation Cup, set up in 1977, was an annual all-India club competition, knock-out style. And then, a National Football League started in 1997, but that folded up in 2007 and it gave way to I-League, and now we have the Indian Super League. To be honest, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) would first need to educate fans and people at large about their structure, and what the future path would be.
The questions that need answers are: Will the AIFF tournaments continue to have the same prominence? And, what happens to the various competitions that exist now and how will they change?
A professionally run league will do wonders for Indian football, and backed by a TV channel, it will also bring in viewers. But then past leagues have also had TV channels like Zee and Ten Sports backing them. So, how will this new venture be different? Foreign players? But wasn’t there always a provision to have them, as we have had players from Africa, Brazil and even Iran in the past.
So, what now? Will legends, who are now past their prime or have retired and become coaches, or are stars in the twilight of their careers, be able to lure sponsors and viewers? That may or may not happen.
The new ISL is said to have three main stakeholders apart from the franchises — the Star India TV Network, which seems to be making inroads into every sport in India; the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries which owns IMG-R, and the IMG-Worldwide, who will conduct the event. What exactly will be their role and how much say will the teams have in the running of the ISL? How will the franchise recoup their money? Some potential buyers of franchises are said to have backed out because they were not confident of costs being recovered.
An expense of $5-6 million a year (around Rs 30-36 crore) including the cost of franchise fee and the cost of players and conduct, is no big deal for most of the people buying these franchises right now. But will they be happy simply spending the money on an ‘expensive’ toy without looking at returns?
Maybe those questions will be answered and ironed out over the next few months.
If IMG chairman Mike Dolan’s views are anything to go by, the event is to be marketed aggressively. He also sees the possibility of raising the number of teams to as many as 20.
Does that mean it will lure away sponsors of existing football events in India? If yes, then what happens to those events?
Then the big question: What will happen to I-League and how will the owners of clubs in I-League react to franchises, some of which are in the very centre they operate from?
Plus, does Indian football have the bandwidth to support 20 franchises? Are there enough quality players? These and many other questions will appear on the horizon over the next few months.
The IPL apart, if one were to look at any of the other sports that have had leagues, only hockey seems to have a decent foothold. So, only time will tell how far the ISL will go.
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ISL -More Players! More Talents!

HeroISL  is happy to unveil the names of all footballers participating in the International Player Draft this week. Complete lists are attached.

The comprehensive list boasts of experienced footballers and young promising talents from across the world with an average age of 28 years, having played 8197 competitive matches in various leagues globally with an average of 186 appearances per player.

A warm welcome to all 49 players!

 

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Indian Super league Football website

A new website ,have authentic informations and  updates of Hero ISL 2014.
Indian Super League is considered as India's Biggest Football entertainment which attracts fans not only from India and Global.Majour corporate players of ISL is Reliance and their media association with Star will make a equal impact of Indian premier League ,Worlds biggest cricket league.See this website www.indiansuperleaguefootball.com for feel the pulse of ISL 2014

Mutu shortlisted for Indian Super League

William Gallas, who won back-to-back English Premier League titles with Chelsea FC, and controversial Romanian striker Adrian Mutu have been cleared to play in the Indian Super League.

The Indian Super League -- which will kick off on September 19 -- is turning out to be a magnet for some famous footballers, many of them, though, at the fag end of their hugely-successful careers. Franchisees must obtain prior permission from the ISL Player Committee, and some of the names made "available" by agents have made franchisees smack their lips.

"Several agents have been contacting us with some famous footballers. They keep mailing their biodatas," a senior official connected with the Goa franchise told TOI.

Not all players whose agents have been vigorously pursuing the Indian football market have found favour with organizers of the ISL. Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, as reported earlier by TOI, has not been cleared as a marquee player, but according to sources, two franchisees have got the nod to sign William Gallas and Adrian Mutu as their marquee signing for the opening season of ISL.
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Indian Super League signs historic partnership with English Premier League

The Indian Super League (ISL) has entered into a strategic partnership with the English Premier League (EPL) – the world’s most popular and successful football league to bring its best practices to India under the exchange program. The Co-operation Agreement between the Indian Super League, co-promoted by IMG-Reliance, the joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries, Star India with support from All India Football Federation (AIFF) – and the English Premier League will allow the ISL to leverage the league's expertise in nurturing and growing a high quality football competition. England’s Premier League is the most watched continuous annual global sporting event in the world. Last season, 13.9 million fans attended matches with record average stadium occupancy of 95.9%. Across nine months, 380 matches are viewed in 175 countries with coverage available in more than 650 million homes. The Indian Super League, set to kick off in September 2014, will receive strategic support, advice and assistance from the Premier League to further the development of the league and its clubs. The EPL will also assist in establishing club governance, shaping the brand, fan engagement, defining anti-corruption and anti-doping policies for the ISL, as well as joint promotion of the ISL and Premier League football in India. The co-operation between the Indian Super League and the Premier League lends credence to the Indian Super League’s mission to engage the 200 million-plus Indian football fan base by showcasing a quality football offering with international standards of governance and an unparalleled viewing experience. Indian Super League is an unrivalled football championship, aiming to foster local talent and feature international stars, making the game one of the country’s flagship sports and India, a name to reckon within the global arena. ISL will feature eight franchises from Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. India is the Premier League’s number one market in terms of social media engagement, with an average reach of 1.48m Indian fans every week. Through the alliance, Indian Super League will help Premier League and its clubs in staging football matches and assist in other business development initiatives in India. This will encourage exchange programmes and partnership building between clubs of the two leagues. Indian Super League and the Premier League will also cross-promote football coverage on Star India’s platform to the growing Indian fan base. Kenny Dalgish Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish confirmed to be one of the managers for the Indian Super League. Former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalgish has already signed up to be one of the managers in the much anticipated tournament. In addition, it was also understood that the organisers were in touch with former Holland skipper Ruud Gullit and Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. Besides the three confirmed high profile managers, several foreign marquee players including Arsenal legends Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg have already been signed to play in this new league, which starts on January 18 2014. Talks are also in progress with another Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and former Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen. Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said: “Having earlier this year signed a mutual co-operation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), we are very pleased to also enter into this partnership with the ISL. This will see both organisations work together and share knowledge in several key areas including player development, refereeing, marketing and promotion. “We know from our broadcast partner Star India, and our work with the AIFF on our long-established grassroots football project Premier Skills that we run in several locations across India, that the popularity of football, and the Premier League, is growing. There is a further opportunity to develop the sport as a result of that increased interest and we hope to continue to make a real contribution to all levels of Indian football.” . Ganguly, with three other city based corporate honchos, has Spanish League leaders Atletico Madrid as one of the key partners for the Kolkata franchise Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, with three other city based corporate honchos, has La Liga champions Atletico Madrid as one of the key partners for the Kolkata franchise. Mrs. Nita M. Ambani said, “Partnering with Premier League brings credence to Indian Super League and to our vision of popularizing the sport in India. I am confident that the tie-up will immensely help in nurturing and establishing Indian Super League with good governance and best practices. The alliance also presents a great opportunity of partnership and cross promotions between the ISL League Partners and Premier League Clubs.” Jeff Slack, Senior Vice President, IMG, Global Football Development, said, “Pairing the Premier League, an established best-in-class football organization, with the Indian Super League is a dream arrangement for football fans in India. The ability to leverage the Premier League’s experience in creating a successful league model for both players and fans will be a tremendous value to the Indian Super League as it continues to grow the sport in India.” Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India added, “The partnership puts belief in our Star's sports philosophy `Believe'. From a game that hobbled about on the fringes of Indian sports, there's promise that this partnership will lift and reinvigorate football. Star strongly believes in creating local heroes, inspiring Indians to believe greatness is possible through sport and together we can create a world where sports comes first. The partnership with PL is going to help us achieve just that. Through this tie-up Star India will cross promote coverage of the Indian Super League and the Premier League to the growing base of Indian football followers.” AIFF President Praful Patel said, “The AIFF is extremely pleased to be a part of the strategic partnership between the English Premier League and the Indian Super League. This is an outstanding opportunity for the Indian Super League to build from the very best in the business when it comes to running a highly successful league. The EPL is revered around the world and by learning from the practitioners who have made it so successful; the Indian Super League will develop and grow in the right way, ensuring benefits not only for the league itself but also for the wider Indian football ecosystem in the longer term.”
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