INDIA SUPER LEAGUE - NEWS

Mendoza: I want to help Chennaiyin become the champions

Stiven Mendoza is all set to return for the second edition of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) with Chennaiyin FC. If you recall, the 23-year-old Colombian was one of the most exciting players from last season. A perfect combination of power and pace with an eye for a goal, Mendoza made an instant impact after joining the southern club in 2014 from Colombian outfit Envigado. Mendoza scored an impressive four goals including a brace in his seven starts and two outings from the bench.

An unfortunate injury cut his season short but the impact in his short stint was enough to attract attention from Brazilian giants Corinthians. Mendoza has been a regular member of the Brazilian side which reached the semi-finals of the 2015 Sao Paulo state championship and are sitting atop the Brazilian Serie A table. Mendoza has already found the net thrice for that team.

The striker has joined Chennaiyin on loan and the club’s co-owner Vita Dani said, “We are absolutely delighted to have Mendo back for this year’s ISL. We are so proud to see him playing in the Brazilian league but it was always our desire to have him back during the ISL, so I would like to thank Corinthians for agreeing to this loan deal.

“Mendo was outstanding for us last year and a big fan favourite so I am sure our passionate fans will be excited about his return. We hope to see Mendo perform even better this time and wish him all the best for the same,” she averred.

The Colombian will be making a return to the “Marina Arena” and will bolster the Chennai outfit’s attack which already consists of last year’s top goal scorer, Elano, new signing Fikru (who scored 5 goals for champions Atlético de Kolkata last season) along with ace Indian strikers Jeje Lalpekhlua and Balwant Singh.

Chennaiyin head coach Marco Materazzi, who is in Perugia, Italy, with the squad for the season reacted to Mendoza’s return saying, “I am very happy to have Mendoza back with us for this year’s ISL. We had been working very hard for our foreign signings and always knew that it would be difficult to find a player of Mendoza’s calibre. So the best solution was to retain Mendoza and I am thankful to Corinthians for the agreement. He was one of our best players last year but he is still only 23 and thus there is plenty of room for improvement and I have full faith in him to make a big difference for us this time also.”

The young footballer himself expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing in the ISL again. Mendoza stated, “I am very excited to join Chennaiyin FC on loan for the second season of the ISL. It is an honour playing for Corinthians in Brazil and I have been enjoying my experience there. But I had some fantastic moments in the ISL last year so I would like to thank Chennaiyin FC and Marco for giving me the opportunity to come back.”“I am grateful to Corinthians for agreeing to this move and I know that this time there will be more expectations from me. It was wonderful to be at Chennaiyin FC last year both on and off the pitch so I can’t wait to get started again and especially play in front of our home fans at the Marina Arena.”

And in typical Mendoza style, the striker had a message for his fans and opponents alike. “Last year I couldn’t play the full tournament due to injury but this time I want to remain fit throughout and help Chennaiyin become the champions.”

Stiven Mendoza and Chennaiyin FC will be on show right from the start of the Hero ISL when they host the season opener against first champions Atlético de Kolkata on October 3rd.

Patel calls for meeting between I-League, IMG-Reliance and Star

The Indian FA have urged the decision makers of each I-League club to be present for the high profile meet…

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel has invited owners and stakeholders of the I-League clubs and senior representatives from Football Sports Development Limited (FDSL), who organize the Indian Super League (ISL) and Star India for a meeting on Friday in Mumbai.

According to the correspondence sent to the clubs, Patel stated that the meeting would discuss the “roadmap for Indian football.”

It must be noted that at a recent meeting between the I-League clubs and Patel, the latter had suggested that there would be a joint conference called for, involving the ISL organizers and the I-League clubs.

The clubs had earlier mentioned that if and when the I-League and ISL is merged, the interests of the former must also be taken into account. This was after Patel suggested that India would have a single league in two-to-three years time but the modalities of the same hasn’t yet been worked upon.

“We are not sure if this meeting is called after Pune FC and Bharat FC have allegedly shut down. In fact Patel has mentioned that he would convene a meeting with the ISL organizers. The roadmap for Indian football is an umbrella under which everything falls. The question of merger is too early.

“There are a lot of technicalities to it. For example would the I-League clubs have to shell out the yearly fee of a minimum of Rs.12 crores. Also the crucial question is whether ISL as a property would want to be of longer duration as one of its USP is the short version which captures the attention of an Indian fan,” remarked one of the senior club officials on anonymous grounds.

India, Nepal play goalless draw

India coach Stephen Constantine employed as many as five substitutions but the deadlock was not broken.

The Indian football team failed to impress against lower-ranked Nepal, playing a goalless draw in an international friendly at the Balewadi Stadium, here on Monday. Coach Stephen Constantine employed as many as five substitutions but the deadlock was not broken.

In the first half, the 156th-ranked hosts played mostly in the rival half. The back four almost played around the centre-line and quick interchanges, switching, transitions and one-twos keeping Nepal, ranked 184, guessing.

Eugenson Lyngdoh’s overhead in the 44th minute evaded the Nepal defence and stooped for the onrushing Sunil Chhetri to take it all the way in to the box. But even as Chhetri, with his feint sent the rival custodian Limbu Kiran the other way, his placement just went wide.

That apart, Francis Fernandes hit the post in the 20th minute when he tried to blast in a rebound following Lyngdoh’s corner. As was in the first half, corners were earned regularly and almost every time, Nepal managed to keep it off.

In the 62nd minute, Robin couldn’t make the most of a free header off Jacki’s corner. Minutes later, Chhetri, after shrugging off his marker shot from just outside the box but it agonisingly went wide.

Top German club Borussia Dortmund eyes India but looks for right opportunity, partner

(Photo: AFP)

The club, as far as global expansion is concerned, sees India as the key market in Asia

Dortmund (Germany): The ISL may have opened up new avenues for Indian football but top German club Borussia Dortmund is still awaiting the right opportunity, time and partner to enter the "key" market.

The club that prefers east over west as far as global expansion is concerned, sees India as the key market in Asia. It is well aware of the ripples the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League created in the country once called the 'sleeping giant' by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, but the current Bundesliga leader doesn't want to commit as yet.

"Whatever we do it has to be sustainable. We know about the Indian Super League. India is kind of difficult for us right now. But with the ISL coming up, the last couple of years we have been following it. We have been monitoring India," said Carsten Cramer, Director Sales and Marketing at Borussia Dortmund.

He further said, "We had experimentally a positive experience in Japan and South East Asia. We had an exchange with some clubs in Osaka. The most important aim if we go to India is that we will do it the Borussia Dortmund way."

"Authentic, emotional and intense," was how he summed up the club's philosophy and the official is ready to wait for something that matches their philosophy.

With a capacity of nearly 82,000, the Singal Iduna Park, home of Borussia Dortmund, is one of the top football stadiums in the world and the biggest in Germany, ahead of Allianz Arena in Munich and Berlin's Olympic stadium.

Asked if they are thinking on lines similar to the strategic tie-up between La Liga's Atletico Madrid and Atletico de Kolkata, he said their plan is different.

After drifting away from their sole focus 10 years ago -- football – Borussia Dortmund incurred losses. But now they are back to doing what they are good at. "Our business model is simple, it's just football. We went through financial problems 10 years ago because our sole focus was not football then, we were into other things. But over the years the revenues did change — 300 million Euros in the last 10 years," Cramer pointed out.

As far as global outreach is concerned, Borussia Dortmund is not in competition with the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Liverpool or Barcelona.

Dortmund enjoyed sustained success through triumphs on the field. They were the German champions in 2011, 2012, German Cup winner 2012, UEFA Champions League finalists in 2013 and German Cup finalists in 2014 and 2015. They had a net profit of more than 12 million Euros in 2013-14. On the whole, it is one of the most likeable football brands in Germany, it is gradually starting to enjoy a growing reputation globally.

I-League faces loss of Goa's Dempo as ISL flexes its

 financial muscle

 Goa's Dempo Sports Club are set to be the third Indian club to drop out of the 2016 I-League. The All India Football Federation AIFF wants a roadmap to have a single national Indian league in the future and it looks like the Indian Super League (ISL) is winning the race. 

Last year the introduction of the ISL radically changed the dynamics of Indian football. The league operates with franchises, built around aging global superstars and with a number of big name coaches - Zico coaches FC Goa in the ISL, for example.

The spectator response was encouraging, with an average attendance of 26,000 and a television audience of some 400 million viewers. That's a far cry from the struggling I-league, where financial uncertainty and low attendances reign.

Since the I-League's inception in 2007 four clubs have folded: Chirag United Kerala, JCT, Mahindra United and Pailan Arrows. Earlier this summer I-League clubs Pune FC and Bharat FC confirmed that they will not be participating in the 2016 I-League. Both clubs are disappointed with the AIFF's lack of vision and focus, according to Indian media reports.

In response the AIFF wanted to retain Dempo, the I-League's five times champions, who were relegated on the final day this season after a 0-2 loss against Salgaocar FC, but Dempo have already downsized their football operations based on playing in the second division. They don't want a backdoor entry into the I-League.

"We have not given it a thought but it looks difficult because all our resources, strategy and budget are based on playing in the second division," club chairman Shrinivas Dempo told the Times of India.

Dempo's stance only deepens the crisis in Indian football, where there is a growing unease among I-League clubs with the neglect of the AIFF and promoters IMG-reliance.

"We have a roadmap which is to have one league within two-three years," AIFF general-secretary Khushal Das said on the sidelines of Mohun Bagan's 125th year celebration at Netaji Indoor Stadium. "But we have to chalk it out on how to go about it. There will be a shake-up in Indian football. There has not been any impact so far but it will happen in future and we have to sort this out."

"More or less all the teams - ISL clubs and I-League clubs and IMG Reliance - are of the opinion to have one league," he added.

Today the I-League core committee will meet in New Delhi to address the precarious situation.

The 2016 I-League will begin in January and run trough to May. Later this year, the ISL's regular season kicks-off on October 3 and will end on 6 December, with the finals beginning on 11 December and concluding with the final on 20 December. Atletico de Kolkata are the defending champions. They defeated the Kerala Blasters 1–0 in last season's final.