Hogwired All about sports Going by a PTI report, Indian football coach Stephen Constantine appears to be very positive about the Indian Soccer League(ISL). According to the Indian football coach the domestic players have the opportunity to mingle with experienced international players through the Indian Super League. ISL also enables the domestic players to train under experienced foreign coaches. Some of the ISL coaches have previously handled some of the top football clubs in the world. Constantine, providing more insight into this aspect, added, “It’s now up to the Indian player to grasp as much as possible from them. It is a unique opportunity and one needs to make the most of it. You won’t get such a chance every day.”
Indian Super League, also popularly known as ISL, is a men’s professional football league in India. ISL which was founded in 2013 is an endeavour to make football a leading sport in India and make it popular. This league currently has eight teams from across the country. They are Atlético de Kolkata, Delhi Dynamos, Chennaiyin, Goa, Pune City, North East United, Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City.
Constantine, while elaborating his views on the positive effects on the domestic players from ISL stated, “The positive impact has been the sharing of experience from the foreign recruits, or may I call it the knowledge transfer. So many foreign recruits who have played at much higher levels are coming to India to play in the ISL. They are here to share their experience and do it in a positive manner.”
The influx of foreign players has also raised the standards of the ISL. Marcos Tebar, Delhi Dynamos’ defensive midfielder, is a perfect example to illustrate this. Tebar, who is a product of the Real Madrid academy, was signed by the Delhi Dynamos after a short stint with Spanish Club, UE Llagostera. When Tebar was confronted with the question of why he wanted to come to India, he had this to say, “I see India as a new avenue to expand my playing experience in different countries. And with the influx of foreign players into the league the standards are just getting better each passing day. One of the main reasons for me to join DDFC was their previous season’s performance which ended on a sad note when the team finished just a whisker away from glory.”
The third season of ISL kicks off on October 1. The first match will be played at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati between North East United and Kerala Blasters.
