Indian Super League - ADK is the first champion!

[kumar713]

Indian football is getting better:cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer:

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

FC Pune City players welcomed at the Lohegaon airport in Pune.

[kumar713]

:nice:

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

Trezeguet: Foreigners have joined the ISL to improve the Indian league David Trezeguet (center) and Franco Colomba with kids from St. Vincent School The Frenchman believes that playing alongside top professional would improve the quality of the Indian players… EXCLUSIVE By Rahul Bali David Trezeguet shares his thoughts on his new club, FC Pune City, the Indian Super League (ISL) and more in an interview with Goal. Goal: For starters, why did you decide to come to India after having played in some of the best leagues in the world? I take this adventure in the ISL as a new experience as a whole, both the technical level and the human side. It’s very important to me, to discover a new culture, a new play and have a new adventure. Many other players joined the group and so, it’s going to be a very important experience for all of us. We hope this adventure will be useful to young Indian players, in order to make them aware of how a professional footballer trains and behaves. They’re very ambitious, they train a lot, and they put a lot of effort in it which is why it’s so important. That’s only the beginning of an adventure and we hope it will be successful in the first year. But I hope the Indian players keep on growing, because they have the ambitions and the means to make good things, and that’s what is most important. Goal: Having trained in Florence for over a week, what are your thoughts on FC Pune City as a group? My goal is to help grow these young players because of my experience. I speak on behalf of a the other Europeans who joined the ISL, to help in this cause. Then, of course, I wish we could win the league title. We’re training hard, we’re doing interesting things with regards to the physical and tactical side. We are building up a group with a clear target: to win the ISL. We’ll do our best to succeed. Goal: Compared to the star players you have played with in the past, what level do you think the Indians are at? The Indian players put in a lot of efforts and are eager to learn as much as possible which is very important. Now we’re working a lot on the physical aspect, but they’re learning enough on the tactical and technical aspect as well. Our coach (Franco Colomba) is working a lot on that. Right now we’re training a lot, that’s why we may be perhaps a little bit tired, both physically and mentally. But I see there’s a strong commitment and effort. Some players have the quality to keep on improving, and on those occasions to meet European and South American players is important for them, in order to mix our skills and their mentality. Let’s hope to make something nice here. Goal: Critics suggest that only those players who are past their prime are interested to be a part the ISL as financially it is rewarding. Would you comment on it? The foreign players have arrived in India to give our contribution in order to improve the Indian League, to make it more smart, more well-known, more open, and also to prove our quality along with Indian players. We don’t care about public opinion and what others say or write. We’re just working to improve the league in every sense and to give our contribution. Goal: Your team lost 1-0 to one of the junior teams of Fiorentina. Any Indian team-mate of yours who has caught your attention? The average level shown during the friendly match against Fiorentina was interesting. Slowly and gradually the players understand what the coach wants. We’re working hard on tactics and physical strength, and I see a strong effort by everyone. I don’t like to mention just one player as we’re building a solid group. We know we’ll be playing once every three days so we’ll need not only good players, but also good guys make a solid group. This will allow our coach to always choose the best players. Goal: How did your former colleagues react when you told them of your decision to go to India? Everybody respected my choice to join the ISL. I was the one to decide to come to India and then many other foreign players decided to do the same. We hope this will be the beginning of a new great adventure, to know this wonderful place (India) to most people, and to open a new cycle for the future. To win ISL would be great. We came to India with the desire to make good things, and we hope our efforts will be rewarded. We’re training hard and we’re doing our best to win it. Goal: Will we see you as a coach in the ISL once you end your playing career? We’ll see as right now I’m totally focused on my new experience in India. For sure I’d love to do something related with football in future. However, I have to know what are my skills in order to know what to do. But right now I’m focused on what I have to do in India in the next three months.

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

Fiorentina mull bringing first team to India FLORENCE: FC Pune City's tie-up with Serie 'A' challengers ACF Fiorentina is at a nascent stage, but if both teams' plans come to fruition, the Italian giants could become the latest international team from a top flight league to visit India. "We could have the first team play in India somewhere down the line if it is possible. Maybe next year," said Leonardo Limatola, head of strategic planning and development at the club nicknamed 'The Viola'. "When the FC Pune City came here for training they were like fourth division team. Now, after a week, they have improved a great deal," he said. Manuel Pasqual, who has earned 350 caps in all till date and led the team out for three years, quipped: "All the team members are open to the idea of coming to India and playing a match there." Blackburn Rovers, who played in the English Premier League, were the first to visit and play and exhibition match in Pune in October 2012. Earlier, the same year, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich featured in a farewell game for former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia in New Delhi. Limatola described the relationship between the two sides as romantic. "We wanted to bring our knowhow to India and what better way than with Pune City. We never thought we would start at the top with a big club," he said. "But now in India we found a friend. We discussed with them for four days and we shared our ideas and things fell into place. "We were looking at many countries like Japan, China, US to take our knowhow to. I know it is not easy to have business relations with India but now it's all happening here. We have fallen in love." Pune City's CEO Gaurav Modwel explained: "We are looking at Fiorentina for everything on the technical side. We want them to hold our hand all the way and guide us through everything possible. From coaching, technical expertise, and the knowhow, right to the selection of players." Both sides have ambitious plans to sow seeds of football development in India keeping in mind long term goals. "It's a long term project that we have in mind," said Limatola. Modwel added: "We hope to have the first sports centre operational in Pune by next year and then to other cities hopefully. We plan to have one or two pitches at the centre." Football in India is yet to gather momentum. Commercialisation and sponsorships are uphill tasks to execute. Hence constructing and owning a stadium is not a viable concept at the moment in India. Modwel agreed. "There are stadium constraints. The ISL is for three months and we cannot commercialise a stadium for just three months. Maybe in the future we can think of upgrading the facilities at the stadium like having corporate boxes." Pasqual was optimistic with the idea and more than willing to lend his assistance. "Before this I never knew India played so much football. I thought that maybe it was only at the amateur level. I do know some names in Indian football though," he said.

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

FC PUNE CITY RETURN HOME WITH DAVID TREZEGUET The FC Pune City squad returned home this evening to an ecstatic welcome after a week-long training camp in Florence. They were received at the Lohegaon airport by the members of St. Vincent High School's champion football team. A traditional band was at hand to provide a musical dimension to the occasion and the players and officials were garlanded by the young footballers during a short welcome ceremony. World Cup-winning forward David Trezeguet, the team's marquee international player, was present along with coach Franco Colomba, midfield maestro Lenny Rodrigues, and the rest of the FC Pune City squad. The former France international striker Trezeguet was the cynosure of all eyes and was mobbed by fans in the arrival hall, looking delighted and moved by the enthusiastic welcome. The team had trained at ACF Fiorentina’s home ground Stadio Artemio Franchi under the watchful eye of Colomba and other Italian officials. They played a friendly against Fiorentina Primavera (the Italian club's youth team) during their stint in Florence. FC Pune City have a tie-up with the Italian club for their venture in the Hero Indian Super League which begins next month. Among the other international players in the FC Pune City squad are defender Bruno Cirillo, midfielder Omar Martinez, winger Davide Colomba, and forward Ivan Palacios.

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

IT’S ‘SARKAR RAJ’ FOR FC PUNE CITY! Anupam Sarkar: Wealth of experience. While many aspiring Indian footballers dream of playing for just one of the big clubs in Kolkata, FC Pune City defender Anupam Sarkar has donned the colours of all four footballing giants in the ‘city of joy’. The former India under-19 alumnus has played for East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting, Mohun Bagan and United Sports Club. Playing for all the top four is undoubtedly a rare distinction but does that not give the highly rated central defender a real dilemma on which team to support? Not quite. “Since my childhood itself, I was a fan of Mohun Bagan. But when I join a club, I stop supporting one team. I support the team I play for,†explained Sarkar in an interview with indiansuperleague.com. With the full support of his parents and family, Sarkar started his football journey in 2002. He shares a common source of inspiration with possibly every current aspiring footballer on earth: the TV screen. “It was my dream and passion to end up doing something related to football. This is why I started watching football on television. I watched the World Cup, began watching East Bengal and Mohun Bagan matches. Watching the game obviously roused my interest further. This is more or less how I got into the football scene.†Little did he know then that his passion for watching the sport would seamlessly transcend into an extremely accomplished career laden with silverware. With two Santosh Trophy titles, a Kolkata league title and an IFA Shield in the bag, his trophy cabinet is indeed very well decorated. “My parents believe I would have been a lawyer, but I believe I could have been a politician. But all these things only God knows,†was Sarkar’s reaction when asked whether he had any alternate career choices apart from football. Although he chose football, there’s no doubting the fact that his hard tackling, incisive challenges and sound decision making abilities are traits that would also have come extremely handy in a court of law or parliament or the state legislature. “In India, I follow Deepak Mandal. There is no point in following anyone from outside because the infrastructural differences are vast. Internationally, I like Pepe’s game and John Terry was really good,†was Sarkar’s articulate response when asked about his footballing idols. The face off against Mandal in the ISL’s Maharashtra derby will be the stuff of dreams for the 29-year-old, who will inevitably relish the opportunity to prove himself in front of his childhood idol. Sarkar has a lot of expectations that the ISL can change Indian football for the good. “If there is anything that can boost Indian football today, it is the ISL,†he stated. Considered by many as the reason behind the defensive stability of Shabbir Ali’s all-conquering Bengal side in the national championship, Sarkar’s expertise will hopefully propel FC Pune City’s quest in the ISL. It could be ‘Sarkar Raj’ for FC Pune City!

[zakk]

HUMARA KHUD KA FOOTBALL :yay:

[Sachin=GOD]

Nicolas Anelka has signed with Mumbai City FC.

[BlueBee]

Who are the players to watch out for ?

[zakk]

Who are the players to watch out for ?

ye thread start se pura padh le :winky:

[kumar713]

Post in English:poink:

[Vilander]

good that it happens in Oct-Dec only time people from outside India can ever play in India without getting killed in heat.

[kumar713]

+ Champions League will get over so that ISL will get more viewers:nice:

[Vilander]

I think we can expect India to move from 160 to around 130 in the next 10 years...:yay: then 50 odd in 200 years...:yay: then...ok bye.

[Vilander]

but seriously i wonder, how can some be so pathetic ass Indian football team.

[kumar713]

Atleast we might see an Indian play in some sort of league. Hope this happens:pray:

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

Trezeguet: 'ISL could be of longer duration in future' Trezeguet awaiting his Indian adventure The former Juventus striker believes that two months or so is a good period for the organizers to test the new league… FC Pune City striker David Trezeguet believes that in future the Indian Super League (ISL) could have a longer schedule as opposed to its format in the inaugural edition which lasts for two and a half months. Having played in some of the best leagues in the world, the Frenchman reckons that eventually the ISL wouldn’t have the time constraint of being merely two to three months long. “Let’s see how this first edition will work. Surely it won’t be a long league, but it will be very demanding as we’re supposed to play every three days," he told Goal. “It’s an interesting challenge, not only for the players and their level but also for the attendances and the media. All those things may contribute to make, in future, an ISL with a longer schedule,” he added. He stated that after the first season of ISL, the organizers would have enough time to contemplate over how they wish to go about the league in the years to come. “Let’s start this adventure with this format. Then once it’s finished, everyone will share their thoughts and opinions. In my opinion, it’s good duration for this trial edition in order to see whether it works,” he reasoned.

[Vilander]

Atleast we might see an Indian play in some sort of league. Hope this happens:pray:

Some get signed to lower divisions in major leagues but wont ever come close to playing in a league game. Hopefully all this Ambani money will put some life into indian football its just plain embarrassing. At the least India should be as good as China, which is about 70 odd places above its abysmal. May be close to Iran some day.

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

but seriously i wonder' date=' how can some be so pathetic ass Indian football team.[/quote'] India is pathetic at most sports. It's just most apparent in football because of the number of competitive footballing nations in the world.