#Indianfootball – Page 4 – Football News India

I-League Bangalored!

April 24, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

Even though the term Bangalored has a negative connotation to it, when you see what unfolded in the 2013-2014 I-league season, it is pretty much obvious that Bengaluru FC Bangalored the I-league title. Since its inception in 2007, I-league has been synonymous to the victory of Goan clubs. In 2013-14 season, Bengaluru FC smoothly captured the reigns and brought the title home!

When Bengaluru FC backed by JSW was announced in July 2013, two tasks were in front of them. Of course building competitive team would have been the first priority, but the second wouldn’t have been that easy. Bangalore is a football loving city, when local clubs like ITI and HAL play, a good number of crowd is present in the stadium cheering these teams. The challenge in front of the newly formed Bengaluru FC would have been to appease the traditional football crowd and attract a new gamut of crowd who are mainly followers of European football. With 23 matches into the league and the title in pocket, it is obvious that Bengaluru FC managed this fete with aplomb. With promotions, smart tie-ups and social media presence, the club managed an average attendance of 7500 in every home match.

The team, captained by national captain Sunil Chhetri also lived up to the expectations. When the club was formed in July, there were not many players to choose from as other clubs had already snapped up players. However, shrewd recruitment and excellent coaching from Ashley Westwood saw many players who were earlier bench-warming with other clubs rise to the occasion. Players like Beikhokhei Beingaichho, Darren Caldeira and Thoi Singh are prime examples. While all other I-league clubs hired and fired overseas players all through the season, Bengaluru FC’s foreign contingent has been top performers for the team.

With high attendance on even week-days, Bengaluru FC with their vociferous supporters made the home turf an impregnable fortress. Of the twelve home matches, they lost a match, drew four and won all others. Though there were frailties in away matches, the team managed to rope in victories while traveling too. With winning the I-league title, AFC Champions League matches will be on cards for Bangalore.

Bengaluru FC has been a fresh whiff of air in the otherwise morose footballing scene in India. It is almost like after the team was formed they never put a foot wrong. Let us hope Bengaluru FC’s success is emulated by other I-league clubs by reinventing themselves.

Bengaluru FC’s Long road to I-league 2013-14 title

Kerala based SEPT to unveil Professional Football Club on May 4th

April 23, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

We had earlier reported that Kerala based Sports Education and Promotion Trust [SEPT] will be launching a professional football club. It is official that SEPT will be unveiling their professional football club on May 4th in Kozhikode.

Bengaluru FC are the I-League Champions

April 21, 2014 footballnewsindia

In an evenly contested match in Goa, Bengaluru FC outplayed Goan giants Dempo SC to become the champions of I-league. Considering this is the very first season for Bengaluru FC in I-league makes it even more special. I-League, since its inception in 2007 has never seen a champion other than Goan teams. Bengaluru FC has broken the monopoly of Goan teams in the league.

Many thanks to awesome matches and atmosphere at the Bangalore Football stadium. More over, hearty Congratulations to the crew at Bengaluru FC!

Network 18’s All India Football Championship – LIFE

April 7, 2014 footballnewsindia

League India Football Experience (LIFE) is an initiative by Network 18 for college students. Here is a video which charts out the plans from Network 18. It also includes snippets from former India Striker Abhishek Yadav and Former Indian Captain Shangmugham venkatesh.

Italian Giants Inter Milan to Conduct Coaching Camp in Chennai

March 9, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

Media 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.

Kerala Premier League to kick-off on March 15th

March 6, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

Media reports suggest that the first edition of Kerala Premier League will kick-off on March 15th. Twelve teams from the state will take part in the tournament that will be conducted in two stages. Kottayam and Malappuram will host these stages.

AG’s office, KSEB, Kerala Police, Eagles FC and Cochin Port trust will compete in the kottayam stage and Titanium, SBT, Central Excise and Goldent Threads in the Manjeri stage.

The report also mentions that the winners of state inter-district U-21 Football Tournament will be given a direct entry into KPL. Top two slots from another qualifying round of matches starting on March 10th will complete the line-up of KPL.

Kerala based SEPT to form a professional club

March 1, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

SEPT, the Kerala based academy that trains around 2000 kids all over Kerala through their 17 centers across the state is planning to form a professional club.

With this the SEPT trust will transform into a company that field teams in the professional leagues of the country. SEPT, involved in grassroots football development for over a decade has the necessary background to graduate their efforts to a professional club.

SEPT recently signed a collaboration agreement with the UAE club Al-Ahli. They have already fielded a team in Kozhikode “E” Division league in 2014 and are the winners, there by earning a promotion to the “D” division. A website has gone live and we get to know that ONGC and Faizal & Shabana Foundation are the sponsors of the club.

More news in the coming days….

IFB Boca Juniors Football Champs : MSP High School and MES College Are New Champions From Kozhikode

February 18, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

18th February 2014: Zamorin’s Football Ground was the host for IFB Boca Football Champs in Kozhikode as India’s latest football development project reached down south looking for India’s next Diego Maradona.

Kerala known not only for its serene beauty and culture it is also a dominant force in Indian football thanks to few of the great National level footballers hailing from the same region. Talent was evident as Kozhikode exhibited some amazing show of football skills and prowess over the last two days.

Malabar Special Police Higher Secondary School of Malapuram emerged as Champions of the school leg as they beat Farook High School in an evenly contest final match held at the Zamorin’s ground in association with Kozhikode Football Association.

MSP High School’s young goalkeeper Deepu Benny was adjudged as the Most Promising player of the School leg of Kozhikode while his team mates Jishnu Balakrishnan and Abhijit EM was selected to attend the coaching camp to be conducted by coaches from Boca Juniors of Argentina.

In the College leg of the event MES College Mampad got better of a strong NSS College Manjeri to claim the title of Kozhikode Champions of the IFB Boca Juniors Football Champs. Mohammed Safwein of MES College Manjeri was adjudged as the Most Promising player of the college leg.

Meanwhile Subhitlal K of Zamorin Guruvayurapan College and Harif P of MES College Mampad has been shortlisted as those talented boys from the college leg who would get a chance to attend coaching sessions by Boca Juniors coaches from Argentina.

MSP Mallapuram and MES College Mampad will now represent the football crazy city of Kozhikode in the national finals to be held later this year in Goa where they will fight against other region champions.

Mr. T Rajkumar, Business Head of IFB Industries Ltd along with Former India International from Kozhikode Mr. Premnath Philips were present to encourage the young winners by giving away the trophies and medals during the presentation ceremony.

IFB Boca Juniors Football Champs will next travel to Shillong to conduct the regional leg before starting off the National finals in Goa.

AIFF’s Player Registration Mechanism will Kick-in from Next Season

February 15, 2014 footballnewsindia Leave a comment

If reports in Malayalam media is anything to go by, AIFF’s controversial player registration scheme will kick-in from next season.

It is reported that Kerala Football Association has notified state clubs to register their players through an online system. Clubs will have shell out 100 INR for each player they are registering. The new system allows clubs to register as many players as they want. Clubs can also register Sub-Junior players as part of the new system. Currently a club can only register 30 players.

Kerala Football Association will also conduct workshops in each district to create awareness on the new system that will be kicking in from next season. Player registration scheme from AIFF had earlier received flak from state associations and there was resistance from the associations to implement the scheme. The reduction of registration fee from what was touted earlier is to be seen as a move to placate the state associations.

Depending upon a grading system, clubs will have to shell out money to register their players. I-league clubs will have to shell out 10,000 INR for Indian players and 15,000 INR for foreign players.

While this a good initiative from AIFF as the registration system would allow them to create a database of active footballers across the nation, it should also be kept in mind that remuneration for a match in many of the district leagues would be as low as the registration fee that is being currently implemented.

Kolkata’s United SC Seeking Investment from Kerala

February 14, 2014 footballnewsindia

Cash strapped United SC is planning to divest shares and is looking for potential suitors from Kerala, reports Malayalam media.

United SC official Nabab Bhattacharya is quoted in Malayala Manorama saying that maintaining a foreign coach and foreign players for the last six months without any sponsors has hurt the club massively and hence they are planning to divest shares. Nabab also said that even though there are many footballers in Kerala with some playing in I-league, the state do not have a club representation in the national league. This is also a factor in seeking avenues from Kerala.

C.K Vineeth who is currently on loan to Bengaluru FC and K. Asif were the Malayali players in United SC. Dutch coach Eelco Schattorie quit the club earlier due to financial constraints and reports have surfaced today that their star Nigerian striker Ranti Martins will be moving to the Shillong outfit Rangdajied United on loan.

The move to seek investors from Kerala could be a last ditch effort to save the sinking club. We will have to wait and watch if any investors from kerala would come and rescue this reasonably successful and established club from Kolkata. If that happens would the club move to Kerala lock, stock and barrel? We will soon find answers.

« 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 22 »