Former Newcastle United striker Michael Chopra was picked by the Kerala Blasters early in the international player draft of the Indian Super League yesterday.
Chopra, the only Englishman among 49 players in the draft, was picked by the south Indian franchise that is part-owned by retired Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar.
“When the drafts came up, the first name that caught our attention was that of Chopra,” Kerala Blasters marquee player and manager David James said. “We immediately decided to pick him and are happy to have him in this team.”
Chopra will get US$58,185 per season, organizers announced.
The order of draft picks was decided by draw of lots, with the teams to pick strikers and goalkeepers in the first two rounds. Strict rules apply to player rosters, with each team required to have one “marquee player,” seven foreigners and 14 Indians, four of whom must be from the city the team is based in. They can pick two international players outside the draft process.
The eight-team league, scheduled to be held from October to December, is being organized by IMG-Reliance in collaboration with Rupert Murdoch’s Star India group.
The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be played over two legs, with the winners advancing to a one-off final.
Organizers also announced that Bangalore franchise owners Sun Group have dropped out and will be replaced with one from Chennai which will be run in collaboration with top Serie A club Inter.
The presence of former cricketers and Indian film stars as co-owners in the league is expected to arouse interest in the cricket-crazy country of 1.2 billion where a number of franchise leagues in other sports have mushroomed recently.
Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has a stake in Atletico de Kolkata, while Bollywood actors Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and John Abraham are among the other co-owners of teams in Pune, Mumbai and Shillong respectively.
Despite the glitz and glamor, foreign players who join the Super League are not just mercenaries chasing one big final payday — they will help to establish soccer in India, former Manchester United midfielder Bojan Djordjic said in an interview with Reuters in Stockholm.
The well-traveled 32-year-old is one of 49 international players who was to be up for grabs in the draft.
Djordjic will join marquee names such as former Juventus striker David Trezeguet and former Arsenal winger Fredrik Ljungberg in the first season of the fledgling league.
Serbia-born Djordjic believes that educating domestic players is key to long-term Super League success.
“They [the foreigners] will teach these players how a midfielder, how a defender, how a striker works,” he said. “Indian players have the talent, but they haven’t had the structure and organization to work as a team and win games.”
“People love football. You can see how many Indians watch the [FIFA] World Cup, how many watch the Premier League. They have football in their blood, not just cricket. These big players will help to raise the profile,” Djordjic added.
Winner of the young player of the year at United in 2000, Djordjic only made two appearances for the Premier League club, but still went on to enjoy a successful career, winning league titles with Red Star Belgrade in Serbia, Videoton in Hungary and AIK in Sweden.
“I’m hoping to bring something else there — there’s 1 billion people, they love the sport and I’m hoping we can move football forward in the right direction,” he said. “I think India has to concentrate on the youth first of all if they are going to have a team that is going to qualify at some time in the near future for a World Cup. They are so low in rankings that something needs to happen,” he added.
Although the deals offered to Djordjic and other foreigners are lucrative, he rejects the suggestion that players who are past their best are going to India simply to cash in.
“When a young player sees David Trezeguet in front of the goal, you don’t lose that instinct, you don’t lose that touch,” he said.
Djordjic said he never expected to be leaving for another foreign adventure at this stage in his career, but that he will keep an open mind about extending his stay abroad.
“It’s going to be a great experience and you never know, I might even make it in Bollywood,” he said.
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