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India to hold first football auction

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Jun 23, 2011
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Former international football players are to be auctioned on Monday to play in a new tournament in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta.

The players being sold include Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy's World Cup-winning team in 2006, former French international Robert Pires and Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha.

The Premier League Soccer (PLS) tournament will feature six teams.

The organisers expect the league to do well in India's football capital.

Last year the city hosted India's first international friendly between overseas teams, with Argentina beating Venezuela 1-0.

Organisers of the PLS, which begins next month, hope to emulate the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricket tournament that attracts huge crowds and which inaugurated the auction system.

They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries.

The BBC's Rahul Tandon, in Calcutta, says 20 foreign players and five foreign coaches will be auctioned on Monday.

"For the first time ever football players will be auctioned and I think that we are at the crossroads for Indian football. I am sure that the PLS will provide a new path for Indian football," Bhaswar Goswami, one of the organisers, told the BBC.

But critics of the league say the money would have been better spent in developing talent and question whether football can ever challenge the multi-billion dollar business of cricket in India.

Football has been played and followed in India for almost 200 years.

The televising of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 made Maradona a hero and created a generation of Argentina fans.

An Indian company, Venky's, now owns the Premiership club Blackburn Rovers.

Liverpool are setting up an academy in Delhi and Manchester United chief executive David Gill has spoken openly about his team's desire to crack the Indian market

BBC News - India to hold first football auction
 
Now that`s better then IPL.. I can say...

The only game I want to play all day.....:victory:

I hope football takes off in our region - the potential would be awesome. We have huge populations and surely we are able to produce some quality footballers to conquer the football world!
 
let first make some good stadiums...

There are some.

Salt lake stadium, kolkota

Yuva+Bharati+Krirangan+%2528Salt+Lake+Stadium%2529+in+Kolkata%252C+West+Bengal%252C+India.jpg
 
We need atleast 10 world class stadiums..

Baichung, Ganguly to egg on franchise teams


KOLKATA: Premier League Soccer is no EPL or IPL but the Indian tournament promises all the thrills and frills, bringing in football icon Baichung Bhutia and former Indian cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly on board.

The Barasat franchise at the world players' auctions on Monday announced that Baichung will be their brand ambassador, while according to buzz in sports fraternity the 'Prince of Kolkata' will cheer for Kolkata franchise.

Debojit Choudhury, Managing Director of Corporate Relationz who handles the Barasat franchise, said that they have signed up Bhaichung as their brand ambassador.

"Yes Bhutia will be our brand ambassador. We will bring soccer fiesta to Barasat Stadium with Bhutia and (Hernan) Crespo in action together," said Choudhury.

Barasat team, who will be known as Euro Musketeers, have bought the Argentine star Crespo for a whopping USD 840,000, while Icelandic Teitur Thordarson will be their coach after being bought for USD 210,000.

Camelia Group, who bought the Kolkata franchise, were yet to reveal their plans but it is indicated that cricket icon Ganguly will be their star attraction along with English stars Peter Reid (coach) and Robbie Fowler (icon player).

Nil Ratan Dutta, CMD of Camelia Group, said, "We are in talks with some stars. We will announce once we formalise everything. But being the Kolkata franchise, we promise to offer the best of entertainment and action."
 
Good initiative

they are destroying that club

They should never have sacked the previous manager and are tearing the club to bits. They pay the players late - which isnt a good advert for Indian football. They should get the team in July to tour India - to promote Blackburn and play local sides.
 
India has held its first football auction, ahead of a league competition that hopes to mirror the success of the country's IPL cricket tournament.

The Premier League Soccer (PLS) auction in Calcutta saw the owners of five teams shelling out some $7m on foreign players and coaches.

Former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo topped the list at $840,000.

The competition kicks off in March in India's football capital, the north-eastern state of West Bengal.

Last year, Calcutta hosted India's first international friendly between overseas teams, with Argentina beating Venezuela 1-0.
'New path'
The tournament is expected to feature six teams. Each has a salary cap of $2.5m.

There were five "icon players" up for grabs.

Barasat, one of the five franchises, won the bidding for Crespo.

Italy's World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, cost Siliguri $830,000 while Howrah2 paid $800,000 for former France midfielder Robert Pires.
Ex-Nigeria player Jay Jay Okocha went to Durgapur for $550,000 and Kolkata signed ex-England attacker Robbie Fowler for $530,000.

Five foreign managers were also auctioned.

Organisers of the PLS hope to emulate the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricket tournament that attracts huge crowds and which inaugurated the auction system.

They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries.

"I think that we are at the crossroads for Indian football. I am sure that the PLS will provide a new path," Bhaswar Goswami, one of the organisers, told the BBC.

But critics of the league say the money would have been better spent in developing talent and question whether football can ever challenge the multi-billion dollar business of cricket in India.

Football has been played and followed in India for almost 200 years.

The televising of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 made Maradona a hero and created a generation of Argentina fans.

An Indian company, Venky's, now owns the Premiership club Blackburn Rovers.

Liverpool are setting up an academy in Delhi and Manchester United chief executive David Gill has spoken openly about his team's desire to crack the Indian market.

AUCTION PRICE FOR COACHES

Fernando Couto (Howrah2) - $240,000
Samson Siasia (Durgapur) - $210,000
Teitur Thordarson (Barasat) - $200,000
Peter Reid (Kolkata) - $200,000
Marco Etcheverry (Siliguri) - $200,000
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16784221
 
They should never have sacked the previous manager and are tearing the club to bits. They pay the players late - which isnt a good advert for Indian football. They should get the team in July to tour India - to promote Blackburn and play local sides.

ya Big Sam was a good manager ...last year they played against Pune FC
 

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