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Five years ago, if you had told Indian football fans that legends like Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Joan Capdevila, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires and Nicolas Anelka would be playing in an Indian league, they might have thought you were crazy. But last year, the dream was turned into reality with the launch of the all-new Indian Super League which saw these very legends playing in our very own stadiums.The inaugural edition of the league was a success – on and off the pitch – as Indian football fans got to see some quality football. The spectators also had an experience they would never forget. By the end of the league, it became the highest attended league in Asia and also had the fourth best average attendance for any football league across the world.We take a look at some players we would love to see playing in the next edition of the ISL which will start on October 3rd.
#11 Dimitar Berbatov
The very idea of Berbatov playing in India is a mouthwatering one as we will get to see his sublime ball control and technical ability firsthand – two major areas where a lot of the Indian footballers are found wanting. So it would be a great learning experience for them to play with or against a player like Dimitar Berbatov.
He was released by AS Monaco after the 2014/15 season ended after he managed to score only nine goals over the course of the season. But he did make some important contributions to the club, especially in the Champions League. He has played for clubs like Manchester United, Tottenham, Bayern Leverkusen and Fulham prior to his Ligue 1 spell.
He is a Premier League Golden Boot winner, UEFA Cup top goalscorer award winner and also holds the record for most number of goals for the Bulgarian national team.
#10 Richard Dunne
The 35-year-old former Manchester City captain is a free agent now after Queens Park Rangers released him at the end of the 2014/15 season. He is a veteran of over 500 Premier League games for clubs like Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Queens park Rangers and has also represented Republic of Ireland in 80 matches. All through his career, tackling and aerial ability were his strengths.
Despite being 35, his fitness levels are quite good and he played 23 matches for QPR last season. So he could still make a contribution in the ISL if any of the teams manage to sign him.
Kerala Blasters do have a good chance of signing him with all the British connections they have.
#9 Diego Lugano
At his peak, Diego Lugano was considered the best South American defender and he captained Uruguay between 2007 and 2014. He led them to a semi-final place in the 2010 World Cup and also helped them win the 2011 Copa America.
The 34-year-old was playing for Swedish side BK Hacken in 2014/15 but was released at the end of the season. He has also played for teams like PSG, Fenerbahce, Sao Paulo, Malaga and West Brom.
Even though he has lost his pace, his defensive skills would be a huge plus for any ISL team. Add to that his leadership qualities which saw being selected as the Best Captain of 2010 World Cup, he would be a good role model for any young Indian defenders.
#8 Andrey Arshavin
The mercurial Russian maestro sort of fell of the grid after a disappointing spell at Arsenal, but on his day he was a world-beater. The 34-year-old had the vision, creativity, technical ability and trickery to beat any defence and he has displayed it more than once for Zenit St. Petersburg, Arsenal and Russia.
He was instrumental in the Zenit side that won the Russian Premier League and UEFA Cup in 2008 and then for the Russian team that surprised everyone at Euro 2008 by advancing to the semi-finals.
Arshavin had the ability to cut open any defences but his inconsistency and lack of defensive contributions caused headaches for his coaches. His career at Arsenal was ofd to an electrifying start, but dipped soon after as he was either played out of position or kept unused on the bench.
His attitude was not particularly appreciated by the Emirates faithful and even a move back to Zenit could not inspire a change fortunes. At 34, released by Zenit, an ISL stint could be ideal for him.
#7 Jussi Jaaskelainen
The Finn is a veteran of 15 seasons in the Premier League, having made over 450 appearances in the top flight for Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. The 40-year-old is a free agent now after being released by West Ham at the end of the season.
But he would be a perfect addition for any ISL side as there would be very few goalkeepers with his experience of top flight football. He was a vital component for a Bolton Wanderers side of the 2000s managed by Sam Allardyce.
Jaaskelainen’s qualities are his quick reflexes, handling of the ball, commanding presence, fitness and loyalty. He is also among an elite list of Premier League goalkeepers who have more than 100 clean sheets and is 13th in the list with 109 clean sheets.
#6 Juan Pablo Aimar
At his peak, he was one of the best attacking midfielders around. He burst onto the scene in 1996 with his excellent display for River Plate. Later he was the creative force behind the successful Valencia side of the early 2000s and the Benfica side of late 2000's.
His dribbling, vision, and passing ability is so good that made Lionel Messi once said Aimar was one of his biggest influences as a player. But he was plagued by injuries throughout his career.
He has recently returned to his boyhood club, River Plate but the ISL would be a good destination for him as it won't be as competitive and strenuous as the Argentinian Championship. And he has already played in Asia with Joho Darul Takzim in the Malaysian Super League.
#5 Didier Drogba
The legendary Chelsea striker is currently a free agent and, while the United States’ MLS is seen as a likelier move, the ISL would be a good move for the Ivorian as its duration is quite short. Drogba has already played in China six months in Asia with Shanghai Shenhua in 2012/13. He had torrid time back then, but the ISL is quite different and because of the EPL’s popularity, he may get a really good package as well.
Even at 37, Drogba would still terrify defenders in ISL with his physicality, vision and goal scoring ability. One thing that made him so special was the ability to rise to big occasions. He has scored in the Champions League final, the FA Cup final and league games against the top sides. He will be forever remembered as one of Chelsea's greatest strikers ever. after scoring 164 goals.
He has a cult status at Stamford Bridge which saw them bringing him back to Chelsea this season. Even though he could not recapture his old form, he still contributed with 7 goals. His major European success came in the 2011/12 season when he helped them win the Champions League by beating Bayern Munich in the final.
#4 Diego Forlan
The 36-year-old Uruguayan striker would be an excellent addition to any ISL side. Atletico de Kolkata seems to the probable destination as he has played for their parent team, Atletico Madrid. He had a pretty impressive spell in Spain with both Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.
Forlan twice captured the Pichichi Trophy as the top scorer in La Liga, as well as the European Golden Shoe for the most league goals on the continent in both campaigns. He had a great 2010 World Cup where the Uruguayan’s goals helped the national team to a fourth place finish and his performances also earned him the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.
A year later he would celebrate more success with Uruguay, helping the national side to the 2011 Copa America in Argentina. Now 35, Forlan is in the twilight years of his career with Japanese side Cerezo Osaka, following a solid spell in Brazil with Internacional. But his spell with the Japanese club did not work out well, as the team got relegated and he was released.
He has now signed up with his boyhood club Penarol in Uruguay, but if a loan arrangement could be agreed then you could assured that the Uruguayan will lit up the next ISL.
#3 Raul Gonzalez
Raul is a legend of European football – one of the greatest players to wear the famous Real Madrid jersey. Period.
He is currently playing in the USA with the New York Cosmos. His presence would really take ISL to new levels. You will find his name in almost all the top goal scoring charts in Spanish and European football. He is the all-time top scorer for Real Madrid, fourth in La Liga charts, third in Champions League history and second in Spain's national team goal scoring charts.
Even though he is 37 years old, with his goal scoring ability he can still influence games. Having already played in Asia with Al-Sadd in Qatar, an ISL move does not seem impossible for the Spanish legend.
With Los Blancos, he won six La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, scoring in two finals, four Supercopa de España titles, one UEFA Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cups. He was part of the European Team of the Year in 1997, 1999 and 2000. Raúl won two Pichichi trophies (1999 and 2001) and the top goalscorer award of the UEFA Champions League (2000 and 2001).
#2 Juan Roman Riquelme
Riquelme is widely considered as one of the most talented Argentine players of his generation. His creative passing was his biggest asset along with vision, trickery and technical skills. He could also score from midfield and he was famous for his set piece deliveries.
He is considered as one of the best playmakers of his generation, and he has been recognised as one of the "last true number 10s" due to his playmaking abilities and unique playing style. He has played for clubs like Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Villareal.
He has won four Argentina championships and three Copa Libertadores. He retired from competitive football this season, but with the right offer he could be tempted to come back, especially because of ISL's short duration. His technical ability and trickery could easily set him apart in ISL.
#1 Ronaldinho
Last year there was a rumour that Ronaldinho was coming to ISL and it created a lot of excitement among Indian football fans. But the move eventually did not happen as he chose to play for Mexican League side Querétaro instead.
The Brazilian is a free agent now and with roughly three months to go for ISL, Ronaldinho would undoubtedly be the biggest capture. He has a lot of fans in India and he would be an absolute crowd puller and could be the face of ISL 2015.
With Zico's presence in FC Goa, it could be a possible destination. He is an iconic player of the game, his moves, his dribbles and his technique, even his smile is renowned the world over. He has won everything – League titles, Champions League, Copa America and the biggest of all, the World Cup. He was FIFA World Player of the Year twice and he was part of UEFA team of the year thrice.
