ISL - INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE - NEWS

  

'I am really surprised how good some Indian players are' - Roger Johnson, FC Pune City

The English central defender looked forward to his 'new adventure' in India...

Roger Johnson was one of the four Englishmen that FC Pune City have roped in for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season, besides manager David Platt. 

The 32 year old central defender who turned out for Charlton Athletic in the Championship last season said that he joined the ISL in search of a new challenge.

"Yes, I had heard of the ISL before and I was looking out for a new challenge, a new adventure so I thought this was the perfect opportunity," he asserted.

The former Cardiff City centre-back also said that Platt was one of the key motivators in convincing him to make this journey.

"I spoke to David [Platt]. He was a big influence in my decision. Of course the English players in my team too helped in taking the call and moreover there would be no problems with language too," he reasoned. 

The Football League Cup winner also spoke of being thoroughly impressed with the Indian contingent that he has been training with in Turkey. 

"I come from England and being there for such a long time, the standard of football there is very high. Hence it took me by surprise seeing how good some of the Indian players were. Some were better than other but that is obvious," he stated.

"I want to see how the three months of the ISL goes and then certainly I can take a call. If I go over and really enjoy it then certainly I wouldn’t mind," was what Johnson had to say when queried whether he would be game for a longer ISL, one that would last eight-nine months.

Johnson also accepted that it was great to be in a team filled with some good attacking talent upfront and thanked the team management for the feat.

"We have a really great bunch of players and it’s a credit to David Platt and the management for getting them on board. I hope they can do their job well and I can do mine," said the centre-back.

Having scored 41 goals in his career Johnson said that he would also like to make an impact on the opposite end of the pitch.

"I have scored a lot of goals being a defender. I am quite proud of that. If the team does get a corner I will certainly push up and try to score," he mentioned. 

"I will try to instil the winning mentality in all my teammates and I hope we can win the championship this year," he concluded.

Not just Pele, Rooney too is coming: Ganguly

Pele will be arriving in Kolkata for a three-day visit from October 11 and be the guest of honour at ATK’s first home match.

Brazilian great Pele is not the only football star scheduled to touch down in the city with ISL team Atletico de Kolkata co-owner Sourav Ganguly claiming that England superstar Wayne Rooney would also be visiting Kolkata later this year.

The former cricket captain said the 29-year-old English captain is coming as part of the second edition of the franchise-based tournament kicking off in Chennai on October 3.

“Rooney will be coming here as part of the ISL, so it will not just be about Pele,” the CAB joint-secretary told media in Kolkata.

Ganguly has already shot a promotional for the ISL earlier this week and according to reports, Rooney is part of that ISL promotional and is likely to visit the city in November.

The tournament organisers of the ISL were not available for a comment on the development, while another source rubbished the report.

“It’s a rumour. How can Rooney come? England is supposed to play two friendlies (against Spain on November 13 and France on November 17),” he said of the striker who went past Sir Bobby Charlton’s tally of 49 England goals.

However, the Manchester United striker does not have any club commitment during this period and it remains to be seen whether the city will have a tryst with another football icon.

Pele, it was announced by his agent, will be arriving in the city for a three-day visit from October 11 and be the guest of honour at ATK’s first home match in the second season of ISL, against Kerala Blasters, the following day at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Saltlake.

Pele’s visit will mark his return to the city 38 years after he played an exhibition match for Cosmos against Mohun Bagan. In recent past, the football-mad city has hosted greats like Diego Maradona, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lionel Messi, Oliver Kahn, Diego Forlan and Gerd Muller among others.

Delhi Dynamos signs Dutch midfielder Greene

Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos has signed Dutch midfielder Serginho Greene, it was announced on Friday in Gothenburg.

Greene, 33, also played the second half of the side’s friendly against Swedish team BK Hacken at the Bravida Arena here.

“He is a player who is willing to learn and grow. His speed will help us a lot as a team and I am very happy about his signing,” Dynamos head coach Roberto Carlos said in a statement.

The Dutchman started his youth career at Ajax Amsterdam and flourished there to make a mark there. Later on, he moved to big ticket clubs like Feyenoord Rotterdam, Vitesse and Haarlem. Greene was also a member of the Netherlands Under-16 and Under-21 football teams.

Greene can play almost in any defensive role which makes him a key player for the team. Not only does he have a flaming drive for winning games and a brave personality, he is also quick on his feet and has excellent decision making characteristics.

Tie-up with German football has opened doors for us: Nicolai

Nicolai Adam, India’s head coach for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup team, on Friday said that AIFF’s association with German Football Association (DFB) has opened the doors for country’s young talent.

“The co-operation with DFB has opened doors for us. One part of our plan for 2016 is, to play versus various youth Bundesliga teams in Germany. It will guarantee us highly competitive matches on top level and it will also be the best economically,” he said.

Asked about his team’s clubbing with Iran, Bahrain and Labanon in AFC U-16 qualifiers, Nicolai said, “I have played a couple of matches against Iran. They are a good footballing nation and start as the favourites especially as they host it.”

Praising the initiative taken by the All India Football Association to launch an U-15 League, he said there is also need to have U-13, U-11 and U-9 leagues in every single state to develop the game.

“All developed countries have competitions for 10 months and that’s where India lose out,” he added.

On his assessment of players the head coach showed no excitement at this moment as he believed that they need to stop dreaming and start working hard.

Underling the importance of psychology in the game Nicolai said, “It’s not just about physique. It’s also about the psychological aspect. You need to be hard and harsh as you have to make up for the lack of football education in early childhood.”