Indian Super League

Considering there are so many people of Indian origin here, I thought this may be of interest.

This basically an attempt to make football popular in India, and find an alternative to cricket in terms of TV viewership and sponsorship. They have copied some success factors from EPL, MLS and the hugely financially successful cricket IPL. The idea is to create a competition that catches the imagination of the Indian fans, by launching clubs with foreign stars and top Indian talent via a MLS style draft system. This league has attracted millions of pounds worth of investment, the TV production is targeted to be of "EPL quality". The 8 club "franchises" have been sold, attracting investment from glamorous Movie stars, cricketers, and even European clubs like Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina. The intentions are good all good, but some of the implementation is questionable.

The main problem comes from the Short Format: The brains behind this have decided that they can only catch the imagination of the Indian public for 2 months. So just 8 teams. This has led to many issues:

1. This competition is separate from the I-League, the actual Indian football top division. While they finally managed to force the traditional clubs to release their best Indian players for ISL, this only adds to the already cramped calendar for these players.

2. A 2 month competition means that this league cannot attract any foreign player who still values his career. Hence all the "stars" signed so far are either out of contract, or looking for retirement, sometimes both.

The good news is that they have managed to attract some stars (or famous ex-players) like Del Piero, Trezeguat, Luis Garcia, Capdevila, David James, etc and coaches like Steve Clarke & Franco Colomba. So there is something to be excited about...

That is the problem with this gimmicky 2 month "unofficial league", it just doesn't excite the existing fans of the game. Lack of proper format makes one doubt the seriousness of this competition. It can only attract retired or out of contract foreign players, and has condemned itself to being like a "friendly", meaningless trophy. A waste of so much money and effort, which could have been so much better utilised to expand and improve the I-League, where we have clubs with history and an existing fanbase.

Yes, it is harder and more time consuming to market a season long tournament, I get that. But its a proven and sustainable format all over the world, and that success (once it comes) will have a lasting impact. They could have added new franchises to the I-League, maybe even added a shorter version Cup format which is more marketable in the short term... all that money into the I-League could have really helped the sport in the long run, as clubs could then afford to bu better foreign talent. And invest in youth academies. So much was possible. Like the J-League showed us.

But no, instead we have a new conflicting format which raises more questions than it answers... what happens next season if some I-League clubs refuse to loan out their players to ISL clubs? And what happens to Indian players, who are already playing way too many games in hot conditions, when they have to fit in the ISL games into their already cramped schedule? What about the development of football in India, will ISL clubs invest in youth academies?

Even if all the media hype does help make football more popular in India, does ISL help or damage Indian football?

ISL kicks off this week, some of the "stars" (or has-beens) who are involved include:

Robert Pires (FC Goa)
Fredrik Ljungberg (Mumbai City FC)
Nicholas Anelka (Mumbai City FC)
Luis García (Atlético de Kolkata)
Del Piero (Delhi)
David James (Kerala)
Joan Capdevila (NorthEast United)
Elano (Chennaiyin)
Mikael Silvestre (Chennaiyin)
Marco Materazzi (Chennaiyin)
David Trezeguet (FC Pune City)
Katsouranis (FC Pune City)

Managers include Zico (Goa ), Marco Materazzi (Chennaiyin FC), Peter Reid (Mumbai), & Colomba (Pune).

European clubs have also invested in ISL, with Fiorentina owning 15% of FC Pune City, Atletico Madrid owning part of Atletico de Kolkata, and Feyenoord have partnered with Delhi Dynamos FC.

For all my doubts, this league will certainly bring a lot of local media attention to football for the first time. I hope that create a ripple to awake football's "sleeping giant". Exciting times.

Michael Chopra doesn't make your list?

Kimbo wrote:Michael Chopra doesn't make your list?

Every team has a bunch of foreign players. No point mentioning players no one has ever heard of

Tbh, I just listed some of the players who have represented their nations in International football.

What age is David James ? About 50 ?

This must be a nice little earner once you have retired

How come there is no good Indian football players? You have 1 billion people yet you are shit.

Not just in football. In the Olympics you suck as well. Are you only good at Cricket because no athletic ability is required?

India probably has more of the worlds poorest people than any other country in the world, by some distance.

Kimbo wrote:India probably has more of the worlds poorest people than any other country in the world, by some distance.

Many poor Brazilians and other South Americans become great footballers.

Many poor Africans become great athletes.

Why don't Indians?

worms; wrote:

Kimbo wrote:India probably has more of the worlds poorest people than any other country in the world, by some distance.

Many poor Brazilians and other South Americans become great footballers.

Many poor Africans become great athletes.

Why don't Indians?

Go and find out

Its weird though, together with China they have half the world's population give or take, yet even a combined 11 wouldnt be even semi decent.

And at least China is good in many other sports. If raping and cricket would be olympic they would get a few medals in that for sure though.

They don't have any facilities, most of the country is just trying to survive and not shit out their intestines. They have serious health issues, I heard the average Indian eats more than the average African, but they weigh alot less due to illness. Delhi belly is not a myth, you go to India your shit is guaranteed to change, you need elite level bowels like me to stop your arse from turning into a hose. Cities will have a green bit where kids play cricket, and in the countryside it's basically medieval. The wealthy area's probably have the facilities, but I don't think rich Indian parents want their kids to take sport seriously.

China is good at Olympic sports where you can inject babies full of roids and turn them into good swimmers or gymnasts, that's not going to work in a technical or tactical sport.

Kimbo wrote:

worms; wrote:

Kimbo wrote:India probably has more of the worlds poorest people than any other country in the world, by some distance.

Many poor Brazilians and other South Americans become great footballers.

Many poor Africans become great athletes.

Why don't Indians?

Go and find out

It was rhetorical. I already know why. They are genetically poor athletes.

Fey wrote:Its weird though, together with China they have half the world's population give or take, yet even a combined 11 wouldnt be even semi decent.

And at least China is good in many other sports. If raping and cricket would be olympic they would get a few medals in that for sure though.

Kimbo wrote:They don't have any facilities, most of the country is just trying to survive and not shit out their intestines. They have serious health issues, I heard the average Indian eats more than the average African, but they weigh alot less due to illness. Delhi belly is not a myth, you go to India your shit is guaranteed to change, you need elite level bowels like me to stop your arse from turning into a hose. Cities will have a green bit where kids play cricket, and in the countryside it's basically medieval. The wealthy area's probably have the facilities, but I don't think rich Indian parents want their kids to take sport seriously.

China is good at Olympic sports where you can inject babies full of roids and turn them into good swimmers or gymnasts, that's not going to work in a technical or tactical sport.

Since when the hell do you need good facilities to produce good footballers? Many Brazilian players hone their skills by playing on the streets with friends.

worms; wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They don't have any facilities, most of the country is just trying to survive and not shit out their intestines. They have serious health issues, I heard the average Indian eats more than the average African, but they weigh alot less due to illness. Delhi belly is not a myth, you go to India your shit is guaranteed to change, you need elite level bowels like me to stop your arse from turning into a hose. Cities will have a green bit where kids play cricket, and in the countryside it's basically medieval. The wealthy area's probably have the facilities, but I don't think rich Indian parents want their kids to take sport seriously.

China is good at Olympic sports where you can inject babies full of roids and turn them into good swimmers or gymnasts, that's not going to work in a technical or tactical sport.

Since when the hell do you need good facilities to produce good footballers? Many Brazilian players hone their skills by playing on the streets with friends.

Well they're not really interested in football are they, if they can find some space they play cricket in it. Bizarre I know. Why doesn't Brazil produce any world class cricketers?

Kimbo wrote:

worms; wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They don't have any facilities, most of the country is just trying to survive and not shit out their intestines. They have serious health issues, I heard the average Indian eats more than the average African, but they weigh alot less due to illness. Delhi belly is not a myth, you go to India your shit is guaranteed to change, you need elite level bowels like me to stop your arse from turning into a hose. Cities will have a green bit where kids play cricket, and in the countryside it's basically medieval. The wealthy area's probably have the facilities, but I don't think rich Indian parents want their kids to take sport seriously.

China is good at Olympic sports where you can inject babies full of roids and turn them into good swimmers or gymnasts, that's not going to work in a technical or tactical sport.

Since when the hell do you need good facilities to produce good footballers? Many Brazilian players hone their skills by playing on the streets with friends.

Well they're not really interested in football are they, if they can find some space they play cricket in it. Bizarre I know. Why doesn't Brazil produce any world class cricketers?

It's not the same. Everybody plays football. Including Indians.

I saw no one playing football. I saw many urchins playing cricket, and I joined in, because i'm a man of the people.

Corrupt real mierda wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

worms; wrote:

Kimbo wrote:India probably has more of the worlds poorest people than any other country in the world, by some distance.

Many poor Brazilians and other South Americans become great footballers.

Many poor Africans become great athletes.

Why don't Indians?

Go and find out

It was rhetorical. I already know why. They are genetically poor athletes.

Poor athletes and probably lack 'garra' and the 'cojones' to triumph in sports. If we Latinos were to play cricket (we'll never play that shit!), then we would beat all of those boring ass scrubs who wear cardigans and v-neck sweaters with white pants to the playing field. What the f**k is that!

Nonsens, Latinos if anything are one of weakest races. Not physically strong, and mentally unstable. Mind you im talking about the true indigenous types. They are the Dodo's of mankind.

Fey wrote:Nonsens, Latinos if anything are one of weakest races. Not physically strong, and mentally unstable. Mind you im talking about the true indigenous types. They are the Dodo's of mankind.

You are correct, mon ami. We are not physically strong as northern Europeans or Negros, but we use our mental unstability as an advantage. For instance, sometimes we have no business in a fight and the cojones take over to win. For example, look at this indigenous Aztec; he had no chance going up against the northern European stock giant. The Mexicano told himself "he ain't shit" and utterly fucked him up. That's how we are, puros huevos.

Name another Latino heavyweight in a combat sport

Kimbo wrote:Name another Latino heavyweight in a combat sport

Most of us can't make heavyweight in combat sports, but we've been ridiculously successful in all the other divisions. The first one that grows big enough to make heavyweight (Velasquez) and that happens.

Puro wrote:

Kimbo wrote:Name another Latino heavyweight in a combat sport

Most of us can't make heavyweight in combat sports, but we've been ridiculously successful in all the other divisions. The first one that grows big enough to make heavyweight (Velasquez) and that happens.

Ofcourse, and most white and black people are too big for the little guy divisions which helps.

Kimbo wrote:

Puro wrote:

Kimbo wrote:Name another Latino heavyweight in a combat sport

Most of us can't make heavyweight in combat sports, but we've been ridiculously successful in all the other divisions. The first one that grows big enough to make heavyweight (Velasquez) and that happens.

Ofcourse, and most white and black people are too big for the little guy divisions which helps.

Oh no, no, no, no, no. f**k No! It's not the dog in the fight. It's the fight in the dog. And, there's a lot of fight in us. That's how mentally unstable we are, we want to know how tough the opponent really is no matter what the odds or the hype. TFS!

Puro wrote:

Fey wrote:Nonsens, Latinos if anything are one of weakest races. Not physically strong, and mentally unstable. Mind you im talking about the true indigenous types. They are the Dodo's of mankind.

You are correct, mon ami. We are not physically strong as northern Europeans or Negros, but we use our mental unstability as an advantage. For instance, sometimes we have no business in a fight and the cojones take over to win. For example, look at this indigenous Aztec; he had no chance going up against the northern European stock giant. The Mexicano told himself "he ain't shit" and utterly fucked him up. That's how we are, puros huevos.

Thats an exception, point is the indigenous American people have nothing going for them compared to the other races.