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Although Tuesday was all about the selection of domestic players for the Indian Super League, there were a lot of media queries regarding the foreign players of the new tournament.
IMG football vice president Andy Knee clarified that the franchises are well aware of the type of foreigners they can expect and he also explained the reason behind holding the international players draft after the local version.
“Teams have a knowledge of what foreigners they can expect. We are looking to create the spine of the team with foreigners so we are looking at goalkeepers, central defenders, central midfielders, forwards. Due to the situation of the transfer window, the longer you wait the better quality players you get. Of course the first year we may not get the best foreigners but depending on the success of the first season, we will be able to aim for better in the second campaign,” Knee stated.
Knee explained why the league will be conducted over a two-and-a-half month period unlike the longer running successful domestic leagues of the world but he didn’t comment on the possibility of merging with the I-League in future.
“After our research we realised that the problems in India were unique so we thought of doing something short and sharp. To be frank it is easier to sustain interest in a league that runs for two and a half months. What we are trying to do is have a good balance of local and international players.
“The international players and coaches will bring quality and professionalism and that would change the whole day-to-day training approach of Indian players. Unfortunately I cannot speculate on the merging of the I-League and ISL,” Knee added.
Knee further spoke about IMG’s long-term target from this new league and how its success could change the entire football scenario in India.
“Through this league we aim to popularise the game in India and if that happens the whole football ecosystem will benefit. The talent is there and this league can give the kids a platform to showcase their talents,” he concluded.
