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The average stadium attendance of the Hero Indian Super League is now officially more than that of the Italian Seria A.
A staggering 1 million fans have so far thronged stadia across the country to watch the ongoing Hero Indian Super League, as India’s most-watched football league sets yet another benchmark in its inaugural season. The Hero Indian Super League which sees participation from some of the world’s best footballers such as Nicolas Anelka, Del Piero, Robert Pires and Luis Garcia amongst others, since its inaugural tie on Oct. 12th has recorded an average attendance of 24,357.
Here is what some of the marquee / international players had to say about the terrific support from the Indian footballing fans:
Robert Pires, Marquee player, FC Goa: “A turnout of a million for a league that’s just 7 weeks old is an incredible milestone but hardly surprising. Right from the first match we played, the crowd has been vocal, enthusiastic and extremely involved, expressing their passion in so many different ways. Our home stadium in Goa is generally heaving with supporters on match days and it’s great to see people really buying into the football dream here. In many ways the enthusiasm has been even more infectious than I’ve experienced during Arsenal’s home games at the Highbury stadium”
Kostas Katsouranis, international player, FC Pune City: “The fans have made us feel really welcome here in India. Generally, a new league takes time to bed in before it starts pulling in the crowds. But with the ISL, we’ve seen crowds thronging at the stadiums right from the first match which is really amazing for a League that’s just 7 weeks old. Clearly there’s deep-rooted passion for the sport in this country. It really is nothing like I’ve ever experienced before and really fires you up when you’re on the pitch.”
Marco Materazzi, Head coach & player, Chennaiyin FC: I am delighted by the fans’ overwhelming response to the Hero Indian Super League. I was always aware of the deep-rooted passion fans in India had for football but even then it’s been much better than what I expected. The support we’ve had from the crowd, especially for our home games in Chennai, has been phenomenal. The atmosphere at the matches has been really electric and the love I’ve felt from the fans is no different to what I’ve experienced in my several years playing around the world.
Alessandro Del Piero Marquee player, Delhi Dynamos: “The response of the fans to the first season of ISL has exceeded my expectations. It is especially great to see how Delhi , a non footballing city, has taken to the Dynamos. It’s really great to see the crowds proudly cheering for their teams and it’s clear that football has a bright future in India.”
