5 legends who have never played in the ISL semi-finals

The Indian Super League (ISL) has been the reason that so many football fans in India have received their quick fix of watching quality football matches in their own country. The league has almost single-handedly transformed the sporting arena in the country by making football one of the major attractions in the nation. With demand growing, the ISL has managed to capture the imagination of millions in the country by simply showing football in a positive light.

One of the main reasons for this rise in football viewership has been the addition of bona fide legends of the game in the ISL. Since its inception in 2014, plenty of footballing legends have found lucrative offers in India and made their way here to end their careers and promote the game. In turn, they've brought worldwide attention to Indian football and truly made an impact. But not all have been successful with their clubs. They may have been individual geniuses, but their teams haven't quite clicked like the way they would have wanted.

Here, we look at some of the game's greats who just couldn't quite break into the final stages of the competition.

#5 Joan Capdevila (NorthEast United)

Joan Capdevila has done plenty in his eventful career but he couldn't quite break into the semi-finals of the ISL with his club NorthEast United FC. The Highlanders have given inspirational performances in the ISL so far but have failed to make it big since 2014 and that has unfortunately been the case till date.

For a former FIFA World Cup winner, Capdevila will be disappointed that he couldn't inspire the team to better results while he played in India with the club. He did, however, bring some Spanish attention to Indian football owing to his hugely successful tenure in the La Liga with Atletico Madrid, Deportivo and Villarreal.

#4 Nicolas Anelka (Mumbai City)

Nicolas Anelka was a true goalscorer during his heyday and showed his class plenty of times for each of the numerous clubs that the Frenchman played for. The list of clubs to his name is impressive and so is his game to goal ratio, and that made his 2014 arrival at Mumbai City FC all the more special.

Though there was plenty of promise, the Frenchman scored just twice in his Mumbai days and didn't offer too much as a manager either. A touch disappointing when you consider his extraordinary playing career that yielded so much success. A semi-final spot may not have been forthcoming, but Anelka sure made the ISL a better place by playing here.

#3 Freddie Ljungberg (Mumbai CIty)

Freddie Ljungberg is an Arsenal legend. There isn't much to argue there. The Swede was scintillating during his prime in North London and terrorized defenses for much of his career. He arrived at Mumbai City FC in 2014 hoping to replicate the same but it didn't quite happen for the ageing winger.

Ljunberg eventually called it a day on a brilliant career after just four matches for the Islanders. His incredible career saw him win the Premier League on more than one occasion and win plenty of individual awards to add to the success. He ended his career in India which will bring a smile to faces of fans who so eagerly awaited his touchdown in the country.

#4 David Trezeguet (Pune City)

Trezeguet was a true genius on a football pitch and is well known for his tremendous success with club and country. His goals were pivotal in France winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and he was instrumental in pretty much all the success that Juventus enjoyed in the 2000s.

The Frenchman's classy goals and tendency to score in big games was a treat to watch, so it felt rather disappointing when he couldn't make it to the semi-finals of the ISL with his club FC Pune City. The club put a lot of faith in the striker who tried hard but couldn't do enough to see them make it to the latter stages of the competition.

#1 Alessandro Del Piero (Delhi Dynamos)

Delhi Dynamos shocked the world in 2014 when they announced that one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Alessandro Del Piero was about to join their ranks. The news may have been great but the performance by the club was far from good enough.

The team failed to make it to the semi-finals and so did Del Piero, a player who has a FIFA World Cup, a UEFA Champions League and six Serie A titles to his name. The team may not have won, but Del Piero's loyalty and commitment were there for all to see and the Italian has firmly etched his name into ISL folklore.