Excerpts from FB live with Chennaiyin FC player Mohan Raj

Mohan Raj, Football, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Indian Super League, Facebook Live, Fans, The Super MachansChennaiyinFC’s fan club- The Supermachans conducted facebook live chat with their player Mohan Raj. Here is an excerpt from interaction with the Tamil Nadu born player.

 1) Ronaldo or Messi?

Both are equally good but I’m a big fan of Ronaldo because he has performed well in 3 different countries-England, Spain and Portugal. He performs well wherever he goes

2) Who is your best friend in CFC?

I’m very close to all the foreign players, especially Eder because we spend a lot of time together in the gym. He’s a very sincere person. Mulder is also a very good friend of mine. In the Indian players, it’s Abishek Das.

3)Who is your role model?

My mother, because she has struggled a lot, and she is a hard worker

4)Who is the funniest person in CFC?

It’s Mendy Bernard. He is very friendly. He has played in bigger leagues and is now playing with us and having fun, I’m very happy for it

5) Will you prove yourself in next season?

(Gethu kaatuveengala) No one can say that but I’m getting prepared for it

6)Tell us about dhoni

I’m not saying this because he is my owner, but because he is one my two favorite sportsmen from whom I wished I could get an autograph, the other one being Ronaldo. The main reason I like him is because he came from a very poor background and proved himself to the world. I’m very happy to have met him and get his autograph on my jersey and frame it, that’s one of my dream come true.

7) What is your mindset in your difficult times? Life is all about ups and downs, it depends on the situation, we should be ready to face it, we need to be stable always, mind is what matters, when you are in a difficult situation, just think positive

8) We are waiting to see you in cfc this season!

Hopefully

9)Buffon or Neuer, who is no 1?

For me its Buffon, Neuer is like his son!! We cannot compare son and father, Buffon is no 1

10) What is your view on merging ISL and I league, is it good for Indian football?

Very good question, nothing is going to happen depending on what I say, but my opinion is that if it’s merged there are chances for many players

11) Difference between Chennai club and Kolkata?

There are so many differences, there everyone will be under pressure every single day to play, to perform in every single match. They are very passionate. Our state has just got a team, we have to create the passion in Chennai, you all should come and support Chennai, it’s our city, so we have to take it forward.

12) Your favourite and most comfortable position?

I have tried many positions from childhood, in 3-5-2, left side defending and attacking, I have got many chances in ATK under Habbas coach, I will play in any position in the left side, be it defending or attacking!!

13) Which is your favorite football club?

I’m little different, I like a club in each country, but Chelsea & Real Madrid are my first love

14) Who is your strength?

My strength is God, I believe in God’s grace, I read Bible regularly. In difficult times, those words motivate me a lot

15) Can we see many TN players in next ISL?

Hopefully! Few players are doing good, we can definitely see many players this season

16) Your football inspiration and the obstacles you had faced before becoming a player?

I chose this career aaccidentally . I lost my father when I was a kid and I had two elder sisters. I understood the situation and joined in sports school and stayed in hostel for free education, now it has brought me here. I had faced so many struggles and problems, God was with me and he has brought me here.

17) What do you think about Jerry Lalrinzuala and his future?

He is a young left back who plays for CFC. He plays really good. Watching Jerry reminds me of myself when I was 17 , 18 years old! He is a very good friend and a very nice guy. No can predict future, let’s wait and see.

18) Are you ready to face ISL 4?

I’m working hard for it, I hope I will have a good season

19) Can we expect retired players this season from Europe?

This question is not for me, it depends on whoever comes.

20)what is your advice to the young players rising across India?

Football’s future is very good compared to 10 years ago. We have so many facilities now which we didn’t have 10 years ago, so young generation put your heart ,mind and soul , and train hard and you will have a very good future. Keep motivating yourself, take the sport as a profession, every single day try to work hard to reach higher levels . Do not think about playing only in Indian clubs, I want many footballer to go abroad and play.

21) Your View on how to develop Indian football?

It’s my personal view- we have to concentrate on grassroots, now we have a recognized leagues, so we can train young players and make them play in recognized leagues, for that not only players we also need educated coaches, because training grown up players is different. Coaching them at a younger age is very important.

22) Are you happy to be a Tamizhan?

I’m super happy and super proud to be a Tamizhan

23) Are you happy on seeing Star sports in Tamil?

Yeah, of course, because there will be a huge reach in villages. It’s hard to understand Hindi & English, I know the struggle to learn these languages.Tamil is our language and is easy to understand.

24) What advice would you give football talents in Tamil Nadu?

I want more academies  to open in Tamil Nadu, and they should have educated coaches to train small kids. They have to give all facilities to them at an younger age, develop and motivate them and set a target to make them play for the country.

25) Can Tamil Nadu be a force? Does it have good coaches?

There are a few good coaches in Tamil Nadu. Soundar anna, Robin Anna, Ranjith Anna, Sabir Anna are all good coaches but unfortunately we have very less professional clubs to take them. I wish them good luck and wish they go and shine at a bigger level.

26) Who is your favourite team mate?

Everyone

27) What is your life’s motto?

Get up and do something for football until you die.

28) Few words on Robin Charles Coach

He is the man who recognised me during my struggling days. I still remember Soundar Rajan and Robin Charles were the ones who selected me to play in the Santhosh Trophy in 2006 which happened in Delhi. I have a huge respect for Robin and his family that will remain forever.

29) Your SAI experience?

SAI was life changing, thanks to Unni Coach and Subramaniam Coach. They were amongst the best coaches I had in my early ages. And then had met Manoharan Coach in Madurai. I have a huge respect for Unni Coach who used to wake up at 3:30 am and travel from Tambaram to coach us, although we went late at 6:15 am. He was very dedicated and must be happy now to see many SAI players playing in India. Also, I’d like to mention Kamali bhai and Lakshmanan from Madurai who helped me a lot in my early ages.

30) Any dream vacation spot?

Izbia, Spain

31) What are your objectives for the upcoming season?

To keep myself fit and free from injury. I’m working hard and want to play as much as possible in the coming season

32) How important do you think it is for players to interact with fans like this?

Without fans there will not be any football club. Fans come first under any circumstance, so I’m happy to interact with you guys. In fact, this is my first ever live session, personally and professionally.

33) Your views on TN training facilities and stadiums? Are they improving?

200% improved. ChennaiyinFC’s training ground is the best training ground at the moment. I have trained at the same ground as a SAI student and ChennaiyinFC has really improved the ground a lot. The facilities at both the training ground and stadium have been improved to a great extent by ChennaiyinFC.

34) Your comments on Dhanpal Ganesh?

I’m very very very very happy for him right now. He recovered from a very serious injury, played in I league and scored goals, and is now with the National team. I wish he continues this way and shines more. Namma ooru, namma payyan, he should definitely do well.

35) Few points to Supermachans to improve the experience for players

Come and support the team irrespective of whether they play good or bad. You have to stand by them during their tough times. Show the love you have for the city to the city’s club. It doesn’t matter who plays for the club and who doesn’t. The name is Chennaiyin and that’s where your support should lie.

36) Who’s the most humble person in ChennaiyinFC?

Everyone in the team is very humble. There’s no one who shows attitude and everyone’s very nice, but the most humble and cutest person is Raphael Augusto.

37) Before 3 years, did you expect two clubs from our city, one in ISL and the other in I league?

We always had talents, but we never had teams, so from the time I heard about ChennaiyinFC, I’ve been their number 1 fan.

38) Who has been your motivator about from your family members?

James, a friend from Chennai. He gives me right advices. I also read the Bible, the words from the Bible keep me motivated.

39) Has your family cheered you from the stadium?

No, because my mother is very sensitive. She cried after seeing Postiga being taken in a stretcher during the inauguration match in Chennai. I’m also her only son, and she’d be hurt if she ever sees me injured on the pitch. So I never bring her to the stadium when I play.

40) Which player mostly takes command of the team? Mendy Bernard

41) Your opinion on fans of CFC?

Our city, our fans, the best Thank you all for interacting with me. There’s Chennai coastal cleanup happening on June 18th which is a Sunday. Please go and participate to make our city clean. We have to do our little part to make our city better. I really appreciate Supermachans for taking up this initiative. You’re doing a great job apart from football. Thank you all!

You can watch the interaction with Mohan Raj here

Indian Super League Season 3 Preview : Chennaiyin FC

Here we go with the 2nd preview on Chennayin FC.

Chennaiyin FC coached by Marco Materazzi is the current champions of Indian Super league. Starting from the 1st season, Chennayin FC has a great record in the ISL. In the 1st season, they finished top in the league table and qualified for the playoffs. Materazzi will be hoping to replicate the same feat even this season. However, things will be quite different for Chennayin this season as they will miss out on two crucial players they had for the last two seasons. Marquee player Elano who scored 12 goals for the team in the last two seasons and was pulling strings in the midfield with his deft touches and freekicks will be sorely missed by the team. Same with Stiven Mendoza, the Colombian liver wire who has scored 17 goals for the franchise in the last two seasons has joined Newyork City FC in the MLS. It will have to be seen how the team copes up with these departures.

Another notable thing Chennayin has done prior to this season is that they signed on 5 AIFF academy graduates  – Anirudh Thapa, Prosenjit Chakraborty, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Baoringdao Bodo and Bedashwor Singh. We will have to see if any of these players will find a regular place in the line-up since they are quite young to be blooded in a league where there is so much at stake. However, this is a great gesture from the franchise and the boys  are bound to learn a lot training under Marco and the other senior players in the team.

Now, let’s go ahead and analyze the different departments of the team.

GK: Duwayne Kerr, Karanjith Singh, Pawan Kumar

Duwayne Kerr is a Jamaican goalkeeper, who has played in Norway and Iceland. He is a very dominating big figure in the box. If Marco decides o play an Indian GK, Karanjith with his immense experience will be the choice. Pawan Kumar who has played for Bengaluru FC earlier and was part of Mumbai FC will be definitely an able back up!

Defenders : Abhishek Das (RB),  Bernard Mendy(RB), Dhanachandra Singh (LB), Eder (CD), Elie Sabia (CB), Riise, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Nallapan Mohanraj (RB).

We will mostly see Mendy being partnered with Riise in the middle of the defense, other central defending options are the new signings Eli Sabia, and Eder, who had a stint with Salgaocar in the I-league. Wadoo had a great season for Chennaiyin last time around and he will most probably the pick for RB.  Dhanachandra Singh who was a mainstay for the team in the last season will be the pick for LB.

Mid : Zakker Mundampara, Baljit Sahni, Dhanpal Ganesh, Manuel Blassi, Hans Mulder, Raphael Augusto, Siam Hangal and Thoi Singh

Hans Mulder, the Dutch footballer who gave a good account of himself in the last two editions of ISL for Delhi Dynamos is the new foreign recruit in the mid-field line up. Manuel Blassi and Raphael Augusto were a constant presence in Chennaiyin’s lineup last year, and this year I expect one of them to sit out and Hans Mulder taking that place. The Indian line up with Zakkeer, Dhanpal, Siam Hangal and Thoi Singh looks quite formidable too. However, i feel the midfield line-up esepcially the Indian contigent lacks in creativity and this could pose a serious threat for CFC.

Forwards : Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Davide Succi, Jayesh Rane, Jeje, Dudu, Maurizio Peluso, Uttam Rai.

Now, this is going to be a real problem area for Chennaiyin. As we mentioned earlier, MENDOZA WILL BE MISSED. Instead of him Materazzi has decided to bring in two Italian attackers.  Davide Succi and Maurizio Peloso. Succi is a 34 year old forward who has played for teams like Chievo, Palermo and Bologna, with pretty good conversion rate as well. Maurizio Peluso seems to be an attacker who plays mainly on the wings and has played in the lower divisions of the Italian league. Dudu is the other forward and he doesn’t need any introduction. He has been playing in India for a long time now and is pretty prolific as well. It will have to be seen if these new recruits can fill Mendoza’s shoes. Coming to the Indian contingent, Jeje is the standout name here. He had a very good season with Chennayin FC last year and would be hoping to replicate the same kind of form this season as well. Daniel is a highly rated forward who plays for BFC but he is going to miss some action due to BFC’s AFC Cup commitments. Jayesh Rane who plays for Mumbai FC had a good season with Chennaiyin last time around will be hoping to pitch in with some goals this season. Uttam Rai is a highly rated forward who plays for Dempo Sports Club. When he burst onto the scene, he was quite a sensation and but he did not live up to that hype after that.

On the whole, this team looks pretty decent but as we said, it will have to be really seen if they can replicate the same form they managed in the first two seasons. And I feel, Chennaiyin will miss out on the playoffs this season! Yes, you heard it right! 🙂

Listen to this preview on Youtube :

Chennai – Schools Premier League returns with ISL champions Chennaiyin FC as the partners

Chennai, Schools Premier League, ISL, Chennayin FC, Football, GrassrootsRated one of the best grassroots initiatives, Schools Premier League which was launched in the city in 2014, is back again. After being a massive hit with schools in the first season, the second edition of the league returns with Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC as the partners.

It kicked off today at MCC schools. Radiance Sports are title sponsors this season and the league will be called ‘ Radiance Sports – Schools Premier League ‘, whileArtemis Cars have agreed to be associate sponsors.Vidya Mandir won the first edition of the Schools Premier League, beating Velammal School in a nail biting encounter under lights at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The league will see 16 schools from the city compete in the under-14 age category. The 16 teams will be split into two groups with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. There are plans to expand the league next year to target more age-group categories and also increase the number of participants.

Chennaiyin FC will provide complete match kits for all the schools in the league. The top performing kids in this league will have a chance to be selected for Chennaiyin FC’s Centre of Excellence program. Newly-appointed Chennaiyin FC assistant coach and technical directorof grassroots Syed Sabir Pasha and the club’s development officers will be closely following the tournament to identify the best talents.

Chennai, Schools Premier League, ISL, Chennayin FC, Football, GrassrootsVarun Tripuraneni, Chennaiyin FC Chief Operating Officer and Founder of Schools Premier League commented, “The league was a massive hit in season one and schools were constantly behind us to organise the second edition of the league. We are now happy to return with Chennaiyin FC as the partners.

“We had terrific participation from schools in the first season where we had players, parents, school principals glued to the website for constant updates on matches, statistics, points table and we believe that this season, the league will be even bigger. The introduction of the schools league was something we felt was paramount for the development of football in local schools and this was the motive behind us starting such an initiative.

“The Radiance Sports – Schools Premier League, in partnership with Chennaiyin FC, is an opportunity to provide these hopeful youngsters a platform to showcase and refine their football talents. The response from the schools has been extremely positive from the first season and it was extremely tough shortliting the 16 school teams this season. I would like to thank Radiance Sports, for buying into our vision and supporting us in what will be a first of its kind league in the country.

“Having Chennaiyin FC as the partners will also give the participants extra motivation as our club will closely monitor the matches and select the best performers for our Centre of Excellence.”

Chennaiyin FC assistant coach and technical director of grassroots Syed Sabir Pasha said, “We at Chennaiyin FC are always looking to develop the best talent of the state and partnering with this league gives us an opportunity to see more talented young footballers in action. I encourage all the schools, kids, coaches, teachers and parents to give their very best in this tournament.”

Mr Varun Manian, Managing Director – Radiance Developers Pct Ltd commented, “We are very proud to associate with Schools Premier League as principal sponsor. We were associated with this initiative in the first season as well and we believe that this initiative will go a long way in developing the young talent in the country. We wish all the participating teams the best of luck.  “

 

SportsMechanics – Schools Premier League : Strategic Partnership

Schools Premier league along with SportsMechanics India a leader in Sports Analytics, Consulting, technology services today announced a strategic partnership with the schools premier league to leverage the latest technological advances, fan engagement and analytics to transform the experience of local football fans in the city, teams and players in the grassroots segment.

As part of this Deal, Sports Mechanics will become the Fan Engagement Partner and Technology Sponsor of the Schools Premier league for the next two years.

Varun Tripuraneni, Founder, Schools Premier League said, “ we welcome an industry leader in SportsMechanics to this league and take an important step towards exploring new opportunities in this area “.

‘’ Our partnership with Sports Mechanics will focus on fan engagement across various digital mediums.An important part of developing players is ensuring they are prepared in the best possible way. The players can watch highlights of the goals scored, look at the other important statistics like shots on target, minutes played and also analyse the opposition by knowing their performance in the previous games which will all be available on the website,” added Varun.

C.K.M.Dhananjai, One of the Founding Members and Vice President, SportsMechanics, said, “ We are looking forward to create a unique digital platform and think about how we can discover and execute differential and engaging experiences for fans for a unique tournament like this.

Playing sports in school is something we would have all cherished and enjoyed. SportsMechanics would like to re invent and bring these memories using our Platforms to give schools, players, coaches and fans with an immersive experience across the schools premier league’s digital channel.

This will also mean that the information available can be used by coaches, players and teams to analyse their own performances too.

Bad day in the media for Indian Super League?

ISL, Indian Super League, Player Draft, Soccer, League, India, Football, France, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Brazil, Portugal, Colombia , South Korea , Argentina, Canada, Serbia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, England, Greece , Cameroon,Indian Super League had a bad field day in the press yesterday.

A news piece that appeared on Livemint did not cut a good picture.

The article talks about IMG-R and Star’s difficulty in finding suitable associate sponsors for the league. Indian Super league had earlier announced Hero MotoCorp Ltd as the title sponsor. It was also mentioned that team sponsorships were equally hard to come by. Average advert rates for the front of the players’ jersey is Rs.5 crore, the back costs Rs.3 crore and each sleeve is priced at Rs.1-1.5 crore according to the article.

The second one should concern the  franchise owners. An article in www.afaqs.com talks about how the franchise owners might suffer because unlike IPL in which a Dollar-Rupee ratio cap is existing, ISL has no such measures. The article claims that exchange rate fluctuations could result in 10% variation in the pay outs for foreign players and thereby escalating costs for the franchises. Such financial strain for franchises in the very early stages of the league might not bode well for its future. Read the article here.

Well, before this is wound up it has to be mentioned that Indian Super League sort of papered over all these cracks by the end of the day when the signing of former French International Nicolas Anelka was announced by the Mumbai franchise.

Italian Giants Inter Milan to Conduct Coaching Camp in Chennai

Inter Milan, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Football, Soccer, Indianfootball, Coaching Camp, Talent Hunt, India, AsiaMedia reports suggest that Inter Milan, the Italian club is to conduct a two day coaching camp in Chennai. The event slated to be on March 19th and 20th will have theory and practical classes.

This would be a joint effort of Tamil Nadu Football Association, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Inter Milan. The Inter Milan contingent will consist of technical director Marco Monti, fitness coach Stefano Rapetti and youth coach Andrea Ratti.

Read More : Inter Milan team coming to Chennai in search of talent – TOI

 

Nethaji Sports Club – Chennai, Bought Over by a Young Entrepreneur

Nethaji SCNethaji Sports Club one of the oldest clubs in Chennai have a new owner in Rohit Ramesh. 27 year old Rohit bought over the club from one of the stalwarts of Chennai football, Mr. T. R. Govindarajan.

The club established in 1946 was steered by Govindarajan till date. Due to the lack of sponsorship and other resources the club was relegated from the senior division 3 years ago.

In the event of this take over, Football News India caught up with Rohit to ask about his plans for the club. Rohit emphasized that his immediate concern is to get the club on track and play well in the Chennai League which starts off in February. He also pointed out that they are looking for international age-group tournaments where Nethaji Club could participate.

As of now team’s 18 players have been retained and the club is scouting to add four of five more players to their roster to strengthen.  Rohit told The Hindu“So our major perspective is to change Indian football. Especially in Tamil Nadu, as there is no team from here in the I-league. And football is growing and I think we are ‘in’ at the right time,”

Tamil Nadu Football Association to amend Constitution

Tamil Nadu Football AssociationTamil Nadu football Association is going to redraft their constitution. By redrafting they plan to bring it inline with the national association and to fulfill the recommendations of the Asian Federation (AFC).

Today, The Hindu carries a very good article on T. R. Govindarajan, former secretary, Tamil Nadu Football Association who is going to redraft the TFA constitution.  The article also talks about the passion of Mr. Govindarajan, who is an octogenarian but still carries passion for the sport. It also points out how Govindarajan was influential in spotting efficient referees and his influence has catapulted so many officials to national and international arena from Tamil Nadu.

Read the full article here :  Better days for football?

IMG – Reliance league auctions to be held by October end

Image Courtesy : http://www.sportzpower.com/

Image Courtesy : http://www.sportzpower.com/

Reports suggest that the auctions for the IMG – Reliance IPL style league would be held by October end. The tournament modeled on Indian Premier League, will have eight franchises across the country.

Two auctions, one for the franchisees and the other for players will be held at the end of October. The tournament will be held between January 18 and March 30 of the next year. Supposedly 20 corporates have expressed their interest in franchises.

Every franchise will have 10 foreign players including a marquee player, 7 Indians and 4 U-21 players in their roster. IMG – Reliance have shortlisted nine cities across India – Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi, out of which one will be dropped later.

Reports also suggest that after numerous rounds of discussion with the I-league clubs, both parties have agreed upon a middle ground.

Read more : Indian football auctions to be held soon