Not because of all those reasons. I am saying that purely because bringing Brazil etc in Nehru Cup is not at all in the priority list of AIFF at the moment.
This is platinum jubilee year of AIFF so they are trying to do something big.Even if any strong team is invited in Nehru cup they will be sending U-23 or U-21 team in all probabilities.<br>
<div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Mumbai football gets Portuguese flavour</span>
</div><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">MUMBAI: In what is a break from the overwhelming presence of </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/English-Premier-League"; style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">English Premier League</a><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> teams conducting activity in the city, Mumbai is getting a taste of </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Football"; style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">football</a><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> the South American way. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">City-based academy, Soccer Schools of Excellence (SSE) have forged a tie-up with Benfica that has seen the Portuguese giants send their academy coaches for a week-long summer programme that's underway at the Karnatak Sports Association Grounds in Churchgate. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Coaches </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Edgar-Cardoso"; style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Edgar Cardoso</a><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> and Mauro Mouralinho have been a week in the city, conducting sessions for around 120 participants who have been divided into groups of kids, teenagers and adults. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"It may seem like a gamble because we haven't associated with a top-four EPL club but Benfica was the best thing to happen. Their ideologies and willingness to start something in India only made our decision stronger," says </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Arpreet-Bajaj"; style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 103, 151); text-decoration: none; font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Arpreet Bajaj</a><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">, director and founder of the SSE. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Terming their India experience this far as a 'new reality', Cardoso said the speed and talent of the children at the camp was encouraging for Indian football. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"The kids here are quick learners. But what they need is regular competitive football. Back home in Portugal kids start chasing dreams of professional footballers at six and seven years. We even have leagues for children that age," said the coach who handles the under-8 activity at the club's academy. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The coaches are replicating the Benfica way of football which pays special attention to the social aspect of a player. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">"While the technical and skill aspect is something we love at Benfica, the social element is important too. When a goal is scored, it is a norm for the team to go celebrate with the player who has set the scorer up. He is the hero. That way, everyone is encouraged to pass in a bid to become the star," informs Mauro who is also a scout for the junior team of the two-time European champions. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The duo also stressed the need to tap football from the streets and improve infrastructure if the city is to unearth serious football talent. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The SSE has plans of a lengthy association with Benfica that could even see participants travel to the Lisbonbased club's academy for training stints in the near future. </span><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">While Benfica has 33 football schools all over Portugal, the sole school outside the country is in Brazil and if things go like planned, Mumbai could very soon be on the radar.</span><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
</span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>Unless they open an academy which is affordable and not meant for spinning money like Manchester United F*c*er Schools, these one day, 2 day, one week camps are bogus</b></span></div>
<br><div>I always tought the same esp one a day camps weekl ones are little better we need longer camps 1 month or more to have impacct</div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; position: relative; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Rediff to bring a professional football club from Kerala</h3><div class="post-header" style="line-height: 1.6; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3907912591397366450" itemprop="articleBody" style="width: 570px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on" style="text-align: left; ">The drought on professional clubs from the football crazy state Kerala have been a massive concern for the millions of fans not just from the state but from all over the nation. The clubs produced by the state in the past have all tasted a small portion of sweetness but a big portion of bitterness. During an age, more commonly known as the golden age of Kerala football, atleast half a dozen of clubs have had a process of fast evolution and a slow extinction. The first professional club of India, FC Kochin, Kerala police and S.B.T were a few clubs from Kerala that represented the South Indian state for a few glorious seasons, if not for a longer period on National level leagues and championships. The latest of clubs representing Kerala, Viva Kerala based in Cochin gave few hopes to the fans when it was introduced in 2004 by a few footballing enthusiasts with a vision of being the best club of India. But, lately with the financial troubles facing the club, sponsors left the club resulting in a West Bengal based firm to buy the club and was renamed to Chirag United Kerala. But, the things which should had looked promising ended up in disaster as the very last hopes of these fans ended up with relegation of the club from top division with uncertainty of a possible return of the relegated club for the next season. But, all are not lost for the fans as the lost hopes are grooming with a new professional club evolving from the Northern Malabar region of Kerala named <b>Kannur Brothers FC</b>.<br><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; position: relative; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-image: initial; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oYWNvPV_9ug/T5uIs5WDT7I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/O8BGgO2im6U/s1600/102458_matter.jpg"; imageanchor="1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; "><img border="0" height="260" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oYWNvPV_9ug/T5uIs5WDT7I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/O8BGgO2im6U/s320/102458_matter.jpg"; width="320" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; position: relative; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 0px 0px 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 0px 0px 0px; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px; ">Ajith Balakrishnan (CEO, Rediff.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "></div><br>During the golden age, football in North Malabar was in full throttle with Kannur Brothers. This might be the reason as Rediff.com are giving promises of reviving this club from past. The fans of Kannur, one of the football power houses of Kerala are not less than excited with this ambitious move from Rediff.<br><br>The CEO of <a href="http://www.ediff.com/"; target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); ">Rediff.com</a>, Ajith Balakrishnan who is also a big football enthusiast is the reason behind the transformation of Brothers FC into a more professional outfit. The latest of reports suggests that he will be lining up the club to second division of National league with a star studded squad for the next season. The former Indian International and wing back, K.V. Dhanush who have represented Kerala, Punjab and Karnataka for the Santhosh Trophy is assigned the job to build the club. He has been a star attraction during his professional career with FC Kochin, JCT Phagwara and HAL Bangalore. He along with Rediff are getting ready to leap into the high spenting transfers for building a undisputed squad for next season.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><br></div>Kannur Brothers was formed in the 1940s. Brothers FC started their footballing campaign for some local tournaments and championships held in Kannur at their budding stages untill 1958 when they debuted for the Kannur district league. The glory run started for the club from then followed by producing a huge pool of footballing stars from the club that included the likes of former Indian guard Chidhanandan, Haridasan (former East Bengal), the trio brothers K.V. Rajan, K.V. Ramanan, K.V. Sukunan (all three represented TATA), Chinnan, Theerthanandhan, C.P. Haridasan, Abdul Salam (all played for Kerala), Zakeer Hussain and Babu Michael (both former Mohammedans), Anthony (former Maharashtra Santhosh trophy player), Devanand, K. Jayagopal, P.M. Shivdasan, K.A. Anil and Nizar (former Indian junior players). The productive contributions from the club also included the first ever FIFA licensed referee from Kerala, Mamu Koya.<br><br>A thousand more big and small achievements have made this club one of the rarest of historic clubs that Kerala owns close to their heart even now. And, one such fan, the CEO of Rediff.com have come forward with an ambitious dream of making his home town club one among the biggest of the nation along with the huge backing, support and whole hearted wishes from their own local fans. And, for finally, the Kerala fans can hope for a second life. But, the success of the club depends on the management and not just on the fans as the history speaks a thousand words of how good a professional club can be in Kerala. With all the prayers, wishes and dreams for Kannur Brothers FC, hope the club can be the X-factor for reviving the lost glory of Kerala football.</div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on" style="text-align: left; "><br></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on" style="text-align: left; "><a href="http://varunkochi.blogspot.in/2012/04/rediff-to-bring-professional-football.html">http://varunkochi.blogspot.in/2012/04/rediff-to-bring-professional-football.html</a>;
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Comments
<br><div><br></div><div>send us an invite
<br><div>I always tought the same esp one a day camps weekl ones are little better we need longer camps 1 month or more to have impacct</div>
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<br><div><br></div><div>he claims that he got the news from malayalam daily...</div>
<br><div><br></div><div>oh ok...actually last yr. Malyaly daily reported volkswagen interested in Viva Kerala, so will keep fingers crossed</div>