ArticleYou have to rate the Indians for the way they are changing sport in their country. After taking T20 cricket to the the next level with the IPL, they now have their sights on football. Indian football has been given a boost by the introduction of Premier League Soccer, a tournament featuring 6 teams. An auction took place, much like the Indian Premier League cricket version, where 5 'Icon' players were up for grabs.
Argentine Hernan Crespo topped the list costing a whopping $840,000! Not a bad pay day for a 36 year old! Fabio Cannavaro came in second costing $830,000, Robert Pires cost $800,000 Jay Jay Okocha came in at $550,000 and Robbie Fowler was won for $530,000.
Some believe the money could have been better spent developing Indian players and infrastructure rather than paying mega bucks to players well past their best. I disagree, by attracting marquee foreign players, the sport will gain wider popularity in India and will result in many turning to football as an alternative to cricket. Meanwhile those professionals that play alongside the likes of Crespo and Cannavaro gain excellent experience alongside world class footballers.
Whilst signing big names is a short term solution, the Indian Football Association need to make the tournament financially stable and avoid the pitfalls the English Premier League faces where players are paid massively inflated wages. If they can avoid the mercenaries and bring in younger players, the PLS could very well create the same kind of buzz the IPL has for cricket.
Argentine Hernan Crespo topped the list costing a whopping $840,000! Not a bad pay day for a 36 year old! Fabio Cannavaro came in second costing $830,000, Robert Pires cost $800,000 Jay Jay Okocha came in at $550,000 and Robbie Fowler was won for $530,000.
Some believe the money could have been better spent developing Indian players and infrastructure rather than paying mega bucks to players well past their best. I disagree, by attracting marquee foreign players, the sport will gain wider popularity in India and will result in many turning to football as an alternative to cricket. Meanwhile those professionals that play alongside the likes of Crespo and Cannavaro gain excellent experience alongside world class footballers.
Whilst signing big names is a short term solution, the Indian Football Association need to make the tournament financially stable and avoid the pitfalls the English Premier League faces where players are paid massively inflated wages. If they can avoid the mercenaries and bring in younger players, the PLS could very well create the same kind of buzz the IPL has for cricket.
BBC Article
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