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Alessandro Del Piero and Harm van Veldhoven – The Marquee player-Manager combo must shine for Delhi DynamosAfter all the delays and initial hiccups, the ISL is set to open a new vortex of all sorts of endless possibilities for Indian football. New Delhi’s JLN stadium will be the homeground for a football team (other than the National side) for the first time since its renovation for CWG 2010. Delhi Dynamos F.C will be a new experience for many Delhites who haven’t really had the option to support a local club in national competitions for a very long time.In this article, we look at 5 things you should know about this new ISL franchise:
#5 The Ownership and The Gaffer
Unlike the vibe of the city, DD’s owner and the manager may not be the most high profile ones in comparison to the John Abrahams or the Zicos of the Indian Super league but they have seized the opportunity of owning a the first big football entity in the capital city which can compete at the national level. DEN Networks, led by Sameer Manchanda, captured the Delhi Franchise for a reported price of just under 15 Crores INR per annum. Being the largest cable providers in the country, DEN’s network spans to over 13 million homes in 200 cities.
Harm van Veldhoven was appointed as the coach of Delhi Dynamos by the franchise owners. The Belgian has played for 3 sides in his country(2nd and 1st Division), currently all of which are defunct. As a manager, he has bagged 2 Belgian second division titles with SK Lommel and FC Brussels, respectively. Sacked recently by KV Mechelen on 30th December 2013, the 52 year will try to find success and more opportunities from his first job outside of Europe.
#4 Kritof Van Hout - World\'s tallest footballer!
Standing at 6ft 10 inches and being the world’s joint tallest professional along with Paul Millar of Eligin City, Van Hout could arguably be one of the best goalkeepers in this 2 month tournament. At 27 years of age, he is definitely not past his peak unlike some foreigners, who are plying their trade in the ISL. He last played for Racing Genk in Belgium and has a reputation for having an edge during penalty shoot outs.
Since most of the spotlight will be on a certain star striker, this will give the Belgian custodian a perfect opportunity to have a splendid debut season. Like the manager, this will be his 1st venture outside Europe where he might just feel a bit taller, than usual!
#3 Feyenoord Tie-Up
The trendy strategic-tie-up-with-a-European-club in the inaugral edition of the ISL sees Delhi Dynamos close a deal with the famous club from Rotterdam, which does have a reputation of producing some world class players. CIES Football Observatory ranked Feyenoord Rotterdam's academy as the leader in player development for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With a youth academy set up which produced players like Robin Van Persie, the club has announced to assist in the 'overall development' of Delhi Dynamos and its initiatives.
The official jersey for DD has been on the same lines as the Dutch club. If any tie ups are supposed to work in the whole league with tangible results to show for,in the present or the future, then it's safe to assume that this could be one of the best deals.
#2 Lowest spenders In the domestic players\' draft
Spending just over 2.65 Crores INR, the Dynamos have spent significantly lower than the rest of the teams in the league. The nearest competitor to this figure is Chennayin F.C, who approx. spent 3.06 crores INR. The Goan attacker Francis Fernandez (Rs. 55 lakhs + 35% loan fee share) and Hisar’s very own front man Manandeep Singh (Rs. 42 lakhs + 33% loan fee) were the only two acquisitions over 25 Lakhs.
They might have just done some shrewd business here but saving it here did mean spending it on something way bigger.
#1 The Del Piero impact
The global football press was shocked around the end of August when it was made official. He has all the glory and all the medals that are possible to attain for a top flight Italian player. With his Hollywood star looks and the popularity amongst football fans in the whole world, the Italian legend is the perfect face of a league that aims to boost Indian football with a shot of X-Factor and a revampmed model.
His stint at Juventus is still fondly remembered by most Indian football enthusiasts. The former World Cup winner will do a great deal in carving a niche for the whole league in terms of viewership and popularity on a global basis.
He played his football in Australia before signing for DD. His involvement in the ISL has further boosted the global media attention on this 2 month tournament. Even though, his first press conference after landing in Delhi was held in a parking lot, he has still remained professional and patient about the disrespectful treatment.
The rights to broadcast this league belongs Star Sports in India but on top of that Fox Sports has the rights from Australia. In a country where football was not even in the top 3 of the most popular sports, Alessandra Del Piero has a dedicated bunch of fans who will be watching the Indian Super league from down under!
