Sports fraternity heaps loads of praises on Indian U17 football team | Image: XtraTime
Internet Desk: The applauds are pouring in from every nook and cranny of the country for the Indian U17 football team who wrote a new historic chapter in Indian Football by overpowering the mighty Italy U17 National Team yesterday. The victory was the first time when an Indian team defeated Italy in the history of the game in the country. The likes of Komal Thatal, Abhijit Sarkar and Rahul Praveen were all top of their game to outplay the European super-power. Today, www.xtratime.in spoke with the legends of Indian football to get their reaction after such an emphatic victory.
Chuni Goswami: This has been an incredible feat. I read the news in the newspaper today and became delighted. Beating Italy is something huge for Indian football. I am highly excited about the Bengali lad Abhijit Sarkar, not only because he scored the goal but also for the information I have got about him. Those players, who can dribble well, are rare in numbers. I have heard his dribbling skills and ball control and I’m looking forward to watch him in the U17 FIFA World Cup. But he should remember that it’s just the start and he needs to take his game to the next level to do justice to his talent.
Bhaskar Ganguly: Beating Italy at any level is a monumental task. The result deserves a lot of respect and applauds. I can remember that in 1982, I was the captain of the Indian team when we played the Nehru Cup and most probably we lost the game by a goal. but we realized the strength of an Italian side in that game. I heard a Bengali lad named Abhijit Sarkar scored against Italy and played wonderfully well. Best wishes to him. At the same time, I want to remind them the fact that a practice match and a competitive mach are completely different. They should work harder. My wishes and prayer will be with them.
IM Vijayan: The win against a team like Italy shows that we are heading towards the right direction. The new Portuguese coach has made a positive impact. It was our committee who selected him as the coach after Nicolai resigned. The best thing which pleased about him was the approach. He is a great guy who treats all his players like his own kids. In the youth level, to become a good coach, you need to be a father figure. At the time of the appointment, Luis Norton told us that there was still enough time for the preparation and he was confident that the team has the quality to do well. The results against Sporting Lisbon and Italy are reflecting his brilliance. I’m also excited about the young Abhijit Sarkar and Komal Thatal. Abhijit belongs to Kolkata and compare to the other parts of the country, they are always extra skillful. The first time when I saw IM Vijayan, I became dumbfounded, such was his skills. I’ll just be hoping that the team will continue their good work and listen to what their coach is saying.
After the famous win, be it the flamboyant cricketer Virender Sehwag or an ardent football fan Abhishek Bachchan- everyone praised the youngsters through their social media accounts. Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of States, Youth Affairs & Sports always expresses himself through the social media and yesterday was no exception either.
“Great day! #India U-17 #football team defeats #Italy 2-0! Well done boys, proud of you all!”
Shri Praful Patel, President, All India Football Federation pats on the boys’ shoulders and surely his words would instil more vigour amongst them.“First entering the 100 club & now India’s U-17 Team beats Italy’s U-17 Football Team. Way to go @IndianFootball ;#FIFAU17WC”
Aditya Thackeray comes out loud in support of Indian Football and time and again AIFF has expressed their gratitude towards this youthful vibrant leader. The Mumbai-based leader urged everyone to watch the match before the kick-off and the avid football fan was following the action as it unfolded.
After Matos’ boys secured the victory, he could not hold his emotion back and congratulated the boys wholeheartedly.
“Huge boost for India! @IndianFootball team of U17 lads won against Italy’s Football Team of U17 2-0! Congratulations #IndianFootball” He added more: “This win is a big win for India and a boost before the U17 World Cup in India! @IndianFootball”
The Delhi-born maverick batsman Virender Sehwag who guided India to the final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 and won the same 8 years later, is an active Twitterati person.
Virender Sehwag, in his signature tone, took up the opportunity to praise the boys as well.“Yaay! We have beaten Italy. Congratulations to the under 17 @IndianFootball on the spectacular victory. Italy
ki idli ban gayi !”
Incidentally, a giant-size football was unveiled at the Connaught Place in New Delhi at the wake of the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 by Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of States, Youth Affairs & Sports; Shri Biren Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur; Vijender Singh, Pro-pugilist and 2008 Beijing Olympics Bronze medalist; Md. Kaif, ex-International Cricketer.
The ace fielder and Middle-order batsman termed this win as a “great occasion” and “historic.” “What a great occasion this! Congratulations to the boys. Indeed historic.”
Even the Mumbai Film Industry didn’t mince their words eulogising the colts who pulled off the heroics last night.
Abhishek Bachchan, an ardent football fan, symbolised this victory as “a sign of things to come.” “Many congratulations to our Indian U-17 boys football team who beat Italy 2:0 today. Hope this is a sign of things to come. BleedBlue”
Stephen Constantine praised the entire team for the wonderful victory against the Azzurri. “Great result lads well done to the entire team”, was what he tweeted yesterday following the 2-0 victory.
‘AIFF Player of the Year 2016′ Jeje Lalpekhlua who is going to hit the pitch tomorrow for Mohun Bagan in their quest for the second consecutive Hero Federation Cup, congratulated the boys for their astounding feat.
The lanky defender Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu also heaped their praises for the colts.
“Congratulations to our u-17 Indian Football team for this inspirational win, keep working hard and more results like this will come.My best wishes”, was what Sandesh’s twitter handle read yesterday.
Sunil Chhetri, who has already embossed his name as the highest scorer on the national colours for India, tweeted: “Big result last night for our @IndianFootball U17s against Italy. Keep working hard and miracles will happen boys!”
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who has an all-win record as the National Team skipper until now, put a cosy picture of himself along with the U-17 squad on his official twitter handle and wrote:“Good win for the Indian Football U-17 team against Italy U-17, im not surprised by it because i know these boys have the fight in them”The Asian Football Confederation lavished their praises for the Indian colts which would surely motivate them to scale a newer height in the near future. “A great result – well played India!”
Luis Norton playing an instrumental role in Abhijit’s performance – Goutam Ghosh’s blog
Luis Norton playing an instrumental role in Abhijit’s performance – Goutam Ghosh’s blog |Image: XtraTime
Goutam Ghosh’s Blog: The performance of the Indian U17 Football Team against the mighty Italy U17 Football Team last night was not only a historic feat in Indian football history, but also something which gave me immense pleasure. The new Portuguese coach Luis Norton de Matos too deserves a lot of applauds. This team was under my guidance in 2013-2014 season and I have monitored this boys from a close distance.
The young lad from Bandel (West Bengal), Abhijit Sarkar played a crucial role against Italy and led the team by an example to snatch this special win against the mighty Italians. This win is more significant for two reasons. Firstly, it will be a huge morale-booster for the Indian colts before the World Cup, as this will give them the belief that they can beat any top team in the world. Secondly, I’m thankful to the present U17 Indian Team coach Luís Norton de Matos, who is allowing the “ball players” like Abhijit, Komal and Rahul to play their natural game.
I know Abhijit since he was 14. A polite and naturally gifted player who loves to rule the attacking third with his creativity. When I was with the U14 squad, I used to spend a lot of time with Abhijit and two other Bengali players who were there in the squad. The most significant thing which I noticed in Abhijit, was his decision-making power, which is hardly seen these days among Indian players. He is electric in this attribute. This is something which can lead him towards his bigger dreams. His ball control and dribbling skills are something incredible. He is so versatile that he can play in various roles. He can play as a winger, as a supporting striker and also as a defensive midfielder. It might seem awkward, but it’s a researched fact in modern football science that a good forward has the quality to be a good defender too. He knows the psychology of a forward better than the others. That is applicable in Abhijit’s game as well.
Unfortunately, during the tenure of Nicolai Adam, Abhijit was not getting the proper exposure. Nicolai was of the typical German genre who used to love playing the direct football and in his vision Abhijit was not that an useful weapon. He used to come more as a substitute during that time. The moment the new Portuguese coach Luís Norton de Matos took the baton on his hand, the story started to get changed. As a Portuguese, he loves the ball players and those who can control the game in the midfield. Ever since Norton came, Abhijit has become a regular choice.
Though he scored a crucial goal against Italy and has been playing some entertaining football these days, I would be requesting everyone to allow him to put his feet on the ground and not to get carried away. He is a rare talent and he should concentrate more to lead the football of our country to a better future.
This B or A squad has 2 players from Bayern 2 from Juventus and Manchester United to name a few and I believe that these players were no pushover. Just because we defeated them doesnt mean they were not good.
On Friday, the Indian U-17 team notched a 2-0 win over an Italy U-17 side in a practice match in Arezzo, Italy, played as part of the team’s exposure trip ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to be hosted by India in October.
The win sent Indian football fans into frenzy. As news of the win poured in, many celebrities took to Twitter to congratulate the winning side.
Beating Italy is no mean feat, and it was no surprise the result left Indian fans in a celebratory mood, as was witnessed on social networking sites like Twitter, rapidly building hopes they can produce a fine showing when the World Cup comes around.
However, lost in the delirium were a few minute but important details about the match. The team India beat on Friday was not the Italy U-17 national team. It was an U-17 team, and an Italian one at that, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) put out misleading information about the friendly and the opponents.
The team India faced on Friday was Italy Lega Pro U-17 Representative, a side comprising youth players from clubs in Lega Pro and Lega Pro 2, the third and fourth tiers of Italian football, respectively.
Lega Pro circular confirming India U-17 played Lega Pro national representatives (HT Photo)
The official websites of Lega Pro and Lega Pro clubs Parma and Albinoleffe, all of whom carried stories on the match, revealed that the team playing India was indeed a representative side of the league.
On Friday, the Indian U-17 team notched a 2-0 win over an Italy U-17 side in a practice match in Arezzo, Italy, played as part of the team’s exposure trip ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to be hosted by India in October.
The win sent Indian football fans into frenzy. As news of the win poured in, many celebrities took to Twitter to congratulate the winning side.
Beating Italy is no mean feat, and it was no surprise the result left Indian fans in a celebratory mood, as was witnessed on social networking sites like Twitter, rapidly building hopes they can produce a fine showing when the World Cup comes around.
However, lost in the delirium were a few minute but important details about the match. The team India beat on Friday was not the Italy U-17 national team. It was an U-17 team, and an Italian one at that, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) put out misleading information about the friendly and the opponents.
The team India faced on Friday was Italy Lega Pro U-17 Representative, a side comprising youth players from clubs in Lega Pro and Lega Pro 2, the third and fourth tiers of Italian football, respectively.
Lega Pro circular confirming India U-17 played Lega Pro national representatives (HT Photo)
The official websites of Lega Pro and Lega Pro clubs Parma and Albinoleffe, all of whom carried stories on the match, revealed that the team playing India was indeed a representative side of the league.
That, however, didn’t stop the AIFF from continuing its narrative that India had beaten the U-17 national team of Italy.
The Indian football governing body’s website termed the win as ‘a historic moment for Indian football’ and ‘a brand new chapter in the Indian football history’.
There was no mention of the match, before or after, on the official website of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
Here is the Italian squad for the match against India, with the names of the clubs the players represent: Federico Brancolini – Modena, Edoardo Corvi – Parma, Francesco Micheli – Albinoleffe, Simone Della Morte – Lucchese, Davide Missaglia – Cremonese, Marco Ruggero – Padova, Antonio Vitale – Modena, Nicolo Maffini – Carrarese, Alessio Gianneschi - Robur Siena, Antonio Marrone - Juve Stabia, Matteo Bertollo - Bassano Virtus, Michael Fibiano - Juve Stabia, Alberto Maroni – Mantova, Alessandro Ramello – Alessandria, Alessandro Galeandro – Albinoleffe, Davide Rosso – Padova, Davide Rodolfi – Albinoleffe, Alessandro Davitti – Modena.
The team was coached by Daniele Arrigoni. The head coach of the Italy U-17 team is Emiliano Bigica.
Below is the Italian squad from the UEFA U-17 Euros, which ended on May 19.
Simone Ghidotti – Fiorentina, Marco Carnesecchi – Cesena, Raoul Bellanova – AC Milan, Antonio Candela – Spezia, Matteo Anzolin – Vicenza, Davide Bettella - Inter Milan, Alex Campeol - AC Milan, Gabriele Bellodi – AC Milan, Andrea Rizzo Pinna – Atalanta, Elia Visconti – Inter Milan, Fabrizio Caligara – Juventus, Roberto Biancu – Cagliari, Hans Nicolussi Caviglia – Juventus, Emanuel Vignato – Chievo, Manolo Portanova – Lazio, Moise Kean – Juventus, Davide Merola – Inter Milan, Pietro Pellegri – Genoa.
Italian football journalist Emanuele Giulianelli was surprised when he saw reports of India beating the Italy U-17 team. “It is very strange because there is nothing about this match in the Italian media,” he told HT. “This team that played India U-17 is the Lega Pro national representative, and not the Italy U-17 national team,” he added.
AIFF officials weren’t available for a comment.
India will face the Lega Pro Representative side again on May 23, as per the official website of third-tier club Albinoleffe. It remains to be seen if football fans in the country will witness another ‘new chapter in the Indian football history’.
Well I knew this would come out any hour. This is basically mix of Serie B and third division side. Result is ok but why the fake publicity from AIFF how long they will keep covering like this ??
Comments
Sports fraternity heaps loads of praises on Indian U17 football team | Image: XtraTime
Internet Desk: The applauds are pouring in from every nook and cranny of the country for the Indian U17 football team who wrote a new historic chapter in Indian Football by overpowering the mighty Italy U17 National Team yesterday. The victory was the first time when an Indian team defeated Italy in the history of the game in the country. The likes of Komal Thatal, Abhijit Sarkar and Rahul Praveen were all top of their game to outplay the European super-power. Today, www.xtratime.in spoke with the legends of Indian football to get their reaction after such an emphatic victory.
Chuni Goswami: This has been an incredible feat. I read the news in the newspaper today and became delighted. Beating Italy is something huge for Indian football. I am highly excited about the Bengali lad Abhijit Sarkar, not only because he scored the goal but also for the information I have got about him. Those players, who can dribble well, are rare in numbers. I have heard his dribbling skills and ball control and I’m looking forward to watch him in the U17 FIFA World Cup. But he should remember that it’s just the start and he needs to take his game to the next level to do justice to his talent.
Bhaskar Ganguly: Beating Italy at any level is a monumental task. The result deserves a lot of respect and applauds. I can remember that in 1982, I was the captain of the Indian team when we played the Nehru Cup and most probably we lost the game by a goal. but we realized the strength of an Italian side in that game. I heard a Bengali lad named Abhijit Sarkar scored against Italy and played wonderfully well. Best wishes to him. At the same time, I want to remind them the fact that a practice match and a competitive mach are completely different. They should work harder. My wishes and prayer will be with them.
IM Vijayan: The win against a team like Italy shows that we are heading towards the right direction. The new Portuguese coach has made a positive impact. It was our committee who selected him as the coach after Nicolai resigned. The best thing which pleased about him was the approach. He is a great guy who treats all his players like his own kids. In the youth level, to become a good coach, you need to be a father figure. At the time of the appointment, Luis Norton told us that there was still enough time for the preparation and he was confident that the team has the quality to do well. The results against Sporting Lisbon and Italy are reflecting his brilliance. I’m also excited about the young Abhijit Sarkar and Komal Thatal. Abhijit belongs to Kolkata and compare to the other parts of the country, they are always extra skillful. The first time when I saw IM Vijayan, I became dumbfounded, such was his skills. I’ll just be hoping that the team will continue their good work and listen to what their coach is saying.
After the famous win, be it the flamboyant cricketer Virender Sehwag or an ardent football fan Abhishek Bachchan- everyone praised the youngsters through their social media accounts. Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of States, Youth Affairs & Sports always expresses himself through the social media and yesterday was no exception either.
The Mumbai-based leader urged everyone to watch the match before the kick-off and the avid football fan was following the action as it unfolded.
He added more: “This win is a big win for India and a boost before the U17 World Cup in India! @IndianFootball”
“What a great occasion this! Congratulations to the boys. Indeed historic.”
“Many congratulations to our Indian U-17 boys football team who beat Italy 2:0 today. Hope this is a sign of things to come. BleedBlue”
“Great result lads well done to the entire team”, was what he tweeted yesterday following the 2-0 victory.
“A great result – well played India!”
Luis Norton playing an instrumental role in Abhijit’s performance – Goutam Ghosh’s blog
Luis Norton playing an instrumental role in Abhijit’s performance – Goutam Ghosh’s blog |Image: XtraTime
Goutam Ghosh’s Blog: The performance of the Indian U17 Football Team against the mighty Italy U17 Football Team last night was not only a historic feat in Indian football history, but also something which gave me immense pleasure. The new Portuguese coach Luis Norton de Matos too deserves a lot of applauds. This team was under my guidance in 2013-2014 season and I have monitored this boys from a close distance.
I know Abhijit since he was 14. A polite and naturally gifted player who loves to rule the attacking third with his creativity. When I was with the U14 squad, I used to spend a lot of time with Abhijit and two other Bengali players who were there in the squad. The most significant thing which I noticed in Abhijit, was his decision-making power, which is hardly seen these days among Indian players. He is electric in this attribute. This is something which can lead him towards his bigger dreams. His ball control and dribbling skills are something incredible. He is so versatile that he can play in various roles. He can play as a winger, as a supporting striker and also as a defensive midfielder. It might seem awkward, but it’s a researched fact in modern football science that a good forward has the quality to be a good defender too. He knows the psychology of a forward better than the others. That is applicable in Abhijit’s game as well.
Unfortunately, during the tenure of Nicolai Adam, Abhijit was not getting the proper exposure. Nicolai was of the typical German genre who used to love playing the direct football and in his vision Abhijit was not that an useful weapon. He used to come more as a substitute during that time. The moment the new Portuguese coach Luís Norton de Matos took the baton on his hand, the story started to get changed. As a Portuguese, he loves the ball players and those who can control the game in the midfield. Ever since Norton came, Abhijit has become a regular choice.
Though he scored a crucial goal against Italy and has been playing some entertaining football these days, I would be requesting everyone to allow him to put his feet on the ground and not to get carried away. He is a rare talent and he should concentrate more to lead the football of our country to a better future.
The win sent Indian football fans into frenzy. As news of the win poured in, many celebrities took to Twitter to congratulate the winning side.
Beating Italy is no mean feat, and it was no surprise the result left Indian fans in a celebratory mood, as was witnessed on social networking sites like Twitter, rapidly building hopes they can produce a fine showing when the World Cup comes around.
However, lost in the delirium were a few minute but important details about the match. The team India beat on Friday was not the Italy U-17 national team. It was an U-17 team, and an Italian one at that, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) put out misleading information about the friendly and the opponents.
The team India faced on Friday was Italy Lega Pro U-17 Representative, a side comprising youth players from clubs in Lega Pro and Lega Pro 2, the third and fourth tiers of Italian football, respectively.
Lega Pro circular confirming India U-17 played Lega Pro national representatives (HT Photo)
On Friday, the Indian U-17 team notched a 2-0 win over an Italy U-17 side in a practice match in Arezzo, Italy, played as part of the team’s exposure trip ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to be hosted by India in October.
The win sent Indian football fans into frenzy. As news of the win poured in, many celebrities took to Twitter to congratulate the winning side.
Beating Italy is no mean feat, and it was no surprise the result left Indian fans in a celebratory mood, as was witnessed on social networking sites like Twitter, rapidly building hopes they can produce a fine showing when the World Cup comes around.
READ | India’s FIFA U-17 World Cup football team defeat Italy 2-0 in friendly
However, lost in the delirium were a few minute but important details about the match. The team India beat on Friday was not the Italy U-17 national team. It was an U-17 team, and an Italian one at that, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) put out misleading information about the friendly and the opponents.
The team India faced on Friday was Italy Lega Pro U-17 Representative, a side comprising youth players from clubs in Lega Pro and Lega Pro 2, the third and fourth tiers of Italian football, respectively.
Lega Pro circular confirming India U-17 played Lega Pro national representatives (HT Photo)
That, however, didn’t stop the AIFF from continuing its narrative that India had beaten the U-17 national team of Italy.
READ | Cristiano Ronaldo likely to visit India for FIFA U-17 World Cup draw
The Indian football governing body’s website termed the win as ‘a historic moment for Indian football’ and ‘a brand new chapter in the Indian football history’.
There was no mention of the match, before or after, on the official website of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
Here is the Italian squad for the match against India, with the names of the clubs the players represent:Federico Brancolini – Modena, Edoardo Corvi – Parma, Francesco Micheli – Albinoleffe, Simone Della Morte – Lucchese, Davide Missaglia – Cremonese, Marco Ruggero – Padova, Antonio Vitale – Modena, Nicolo Maffini – Carrarese, Alessio Gianneschi - Robur Siena, Antonio Marrone - Juve Stabia, Matteo Bertollo - Bassano Virtus, Michael Fibiano - Juve Stabia, Alberto Maroni – Mantova, Alessandro Ramello – Alessandria, Alessandro Galeandro – Albinoleffe, Davide Rosso – Padova, Davide Rodolfi – Albinoleffe, Alessandro Davitti – Modena.
The team was coached by Daniele Arrigoni. The head coach of the Italy U-17 team is Emiliano Bigica.
Below is the Italian squad from the UEFA U-17 Euros, which ended on May 19.
Simone Ghidotti – Fiorentina, Marco Carnesecchi – Cesena, Raoul Bellanova – AC Milan, Antonio Candela – Spezia, Matteo Anzolin – Vicenza, Davide Bettella - Inter Milan, Alex Campeol - AC Milan, Gabriele Bellodi – AC Milan, Andrea Rizzo Pinna – Atalanta, Elia Visconti – Inter Milan, Fabrizio Caligara – Juventus, Roberto Biancu – Cagliari, Hans Nicolussi Caviglia – Juventus, Emanuel Vignato – Chievo, Manolo Portanova – Lazio, Moise Kean – Juventus, Davide Merola – Inter Milan, Pietro Pellegri – Genoa.
READ | FIFA U-17 World Cup football final ticket will cost you just Rs 48
Italian football journalist Emanuele Giulianelli was surprised when he saw reports of India beating the Italy U-17 team. “It is very strange because there is nothing about this match in the Italian media,” he told HT. “This team that played India U-17 is the Lega Pro national representative, and not the Italy U-17 national team,” he added.
AIFF officials weren’t available for a comment.
India will face the Lega Pro Representative side again on May 23, as per the official website of third-tier club Albinoleffe. It remains to be seen if football fans in the country will witness another ‘new chapter in the Indian football history’.
http://m.hindustantimes.com/football/did-india-s-fifa-u-17-world-cup-team-really-beat-italy-here-s-the-truth/story-Ya5diT8rnZg86IrApmfVgK.html