A STAFF REPORTER Calcutta: Nigerian World Cupper and star of 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Nwankwo Kanu, could turn up for a franchise in the soon-to-be-launched Premier League Soccer (PLS), a tournament organiser revealed on Saturday.
“We had a fruitful meeting with Emeka Ezeugo today (Saturday). He wanted to help us in launching this ambitious Premier League Soccer. He is bringing us Kanu along with some other famous footballers,” Bhaswar Goswami of Celebrity Management Group (CMG) said.
The PLS is likely to start in January 2012 with six cities of Bengal and the CMG, at a media conference two months back, promised to get the likes of Dutch legend Edgar Davids and Japanese Junichi Inamoto. And if Kanu, the former Ajax, Arsenal and Portsmouth player does come it will be quite a treat.
It’s not just the promise of bringing Kanu to the city, Emeka also has some other plans. The 1994 World Cupper in the Super Eagles shirt and a former East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting player, wants to open an academy here and is looking for investors.
Goswami could also be in the reckoning for a probable investor. “He is looking to open an academy for which he is in search of investors. We had preliminary talks but I cannot divulge anything more right now,” Goswami said.
Emeka as usual was quite ecstatic to come to the place where his journey as a footballer began. “Calcutta is like my second home. I want to help in improving the football standards and infrastructure here.
“I am planning to open three academies, one each in India, Nigeria and Latin America. We will make sure that the players would visit other academies and exchange information among themselves,” he said.
Emeka said he was open to coach a club in India. “I am open to coach any Indian club, preferably in this city,” he said.
Emeka, for the record, had a bitter experience while coaching Churchill Brothers in 2008. He had a major problem with prolific scorer Okolie Odafe and had to quit mid-season.
“I had an excellent relationship with all the players. But Odafe had a problem. As he began to grow in stature, he became very egoistic and indisciplined. I tried to control him but he got the backing of the club officials.” said Odafe.
Things went beyond control during the Durand Cup. “We had a situation where either he could stay or I could survive. The axe fell on me,” Emeka lamented,
“If Odafe remains adamant, he will find it hard to survive in Calcutta.”
Emeka said credit should go to him for the team’s success in 2009. “I was the one who built the team. I selected all the players and imbibed the team spirit among the boys. Anybody could have reaped the benefits of my good work in the following season,” said Emeka.
Incidentally, Churchill triumphed in most of the tournaments in the following season.
Emeka, who left the city on Saturday itself, promised to return for the Argentina-Venezuela match on September 2. “Messi is easily the best player of the current era. I will like to watch him play in Salt Lake Stadium,” he said.
The Nigerian has also witnessed another Argentinian great Diego Maradona. “I did not play in that match (1994 Argentina vs Nigeria group match) but watched him (Diego) from the sidelines. Simply amzing. It was great to see how he carried the weight of the entire Argentina team on his shoulders,” he said.
With Davids, Kanu, Inamoto, the latest addition of Sorin, the PLS is going to be a supremely exciting affair! I can’t wait to hear for the news of the auction of the franchisees.
Why not replace the dumb I-League with this PLS and add 2 more teams,split them into 8 different states.
For some reason I don't find I-League interesting,its is very poorly planned,marketed and doesn't have a feel of true national league. <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->
Why only 8 teams? The Indian football market has enough vim for a 16-team fully blown home-and-away league. This would have been stupendous! This has the potential to become the richest league between Serie A and the J league, considering India’s economic prowess.
And this would have developed Indian football like never before. The USA and Australia have developed their football on the basis of franchisee-based league. Only, AIFF does not seem to like so much activity, lest it rocks the boat …
Why only 8 teams? The Indian football market has enough vim for a 16-team fully blown home-and-away league. This would have been stupendous! This has the potential to become the richest league between Serie A and the J league, considering India’s economic prowess.
And this would have developed Indian football like never before. The USA and Australia have developed their football on the basis of franchisee-based league. Only, AIFF does not seem to like so much activity, lest it rocks the boat …
I hope PLS becomes a super hit so that it brings AIFF into utter garbage shame that they'll kill themselves to make I-League better. <!-- s:violence-smack: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/violence/smack.gif" alt=":violence-smack:" title="Smack" /><!-- s:violence-smack: -->
Why only 8 teams? The Indian football market has enough vim for a 16-team fully blown home-and-away league. This would have been stupendous! This has the potential to become the richest league between Serie A and the J league, considering India’s economic prowess.
And this would have developed Indian football like never before. The USA and Australia have developed their football on the basis of franchisee-based league. Only, AIFF does not seem to like so much activity, lest it rocks the boat …
I hope PLS becomes a super hit so that it brings AIFF into utter garbage shame that they'll kill themselves to make I-League better. <!-- s:violence-smack: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/violence/smack.gif" alt=":violence-smack:" title="Smack" /><!-- s:violence-smack: -->
whats the latest news on pls? everything has gone silent.... when will it start?
PLS team and foreign players auction will take place in January with the league to start on Feb month....
now the question in my mind is all matches are expected to be played in floodlights...if YBK is not fit to host evening matches,will other cities be able to even get a quality ground in place for the league???
PLS team and foreign players auction will take place in January with the league to start on Feb month....
now the question in my mind is all matches are expected to be played in floodlights...if YBK is not fit to host evening matches,will other cities be able to even get a quality ground in place for the league???
Is there a credible source other than sportskedda because I count that article was right. 1) The auction was scheduled for August but never happened. 2) Were is that dutch legend who wore the glasses (forgot his name) Wasn't he supposed to be in the league. 3) He said the Maradona was on England!
Comments
A STAFF REPORTER
Calcutta: Nigerian World Cupper and star of 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Nwankwo Kanu, could turn up for a franchise in the soon-to-be-launched Premier League Soccer (PLS), a tournament organiser revealed on Saturday.
“We had a fruitful meeting with Emeka Ezeugo today (Saturday). He wanted to help us in launching this ambitious Premier League Soccer. He is bringing us Kanu along with some other famous footballers,” Bhaswar Goswami of Celebrity Management Group (CMG) said.
The PLS is likely to start in January 2012 with six cities of Bengal and the CMG, at a media conference two months back, promised to get the likes of Dutch legend Edgar Davids and Japanese Junichi Inamoto. And if Kanu, the former Ajax, Arsenal and Portsmouth player does come it will be quite a treat.
It’s not just the promise of bringing Kanu to the city, Emeka also has some other plans. The 1994 World Cupper in the Super Eagles shirt and a former East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting player, wants to open an academy here and is looking for investors.
Goswami could also be in the reckoning for a probable investor. “He is looking to open an academy for which he is in search of investors. We had preliminary talks but I cannot divulge anything more right now,” Goswami said.
Emeka as usual was quite ecstatic to come to the place where his journey as a footballer began. “Calcutta is like my second home. I want to help in improving the football standards and infrastructure here.
“I am planning to open three academies, one each in India, Nigeria and Latin America. We will make sure that the players would visit other academies and exchange information among themselves,” he said.
Emeka said he was open to coach a club in India. “I am open to coach any Indian club, preferably in this city,” he said.
Emeka, for the record, had a bitter experience while coaching Churchill Brothers in 2008. He had a major problem with prolific scorer Okolie Odafe and had to quit mid-season.
“I had an excellent relationship with all the players. But Odafe had a problem. As he began to grow in stature, he became very egoistic and indisciplined. I tried to control him but he got the backing of the club officials.” said Odafe.
Things went beyond control during the Durand Cup. “We had a situation where either he could stay or I could survive. The axe fell on me,” Emeka lamented,
“If Odafe remains adamant, he will find it hard to survive in Calcutta.”
Emeka said credit should go to him for the team’s success in 2009. “I was the one who built the team. I selected all the players and imbibed the team spirit among the boys. Anybody could have reaped the benefits of my good work in the following season,” said Emeka.
Incidentally, Churchill triumphed in most of the tournaments in the following season.
Emeka, who left the city on Saturday itself, promised to return for the Argentina-Venezuela match on September 2. “Messi is easily the best player of the current era. I will like to watch him play in Salt Lake Stadium,” he said.
The Nigerian has also witnessed another Argentinian great Diego Maradona. “I did not play in that match (1994 Argentina vs Nigeria group match) but watched him (Diego) from the sidelines. Simply amzing. It was great to see how he carried the weight of the entire Argentina team on his shoulders,” he said.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110612/jsp/sports/story_14103126.jsp">http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110612/j ... 103126.jsp</a><!-- m -->
Source: ABP
For some reason I don't find I-League interesting,its is very poorly planned,marketed and doesn't have a feel of true national league. <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->
only one problem its rights are being held by ifa
And this would have developed Indian football like never before. The USA and Australia have developed their football on the basis of franchisee-based league. Only, AIFF does not seem to like so much activity, lest it rocks the boat …
I hope PLS becomes a super hit so that it brings AIFF into utter garbage shame that they'll kill themselves to make I-League better. <!-- s:violence-smack: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/violence/smack.gif" alt=":violence-smack:" title="Smack" /><!-- s:violence-smack: -->
now the question in my mind is all matches are expected to be played in floodlights...if YBK is not fit to host evening matches,will other cities be able to even get a quality ground in place for the league???
Is there a credible source other than sportskedda because I count that article was right. 1) The auction was scheduled for August but never happened. 2) Were is that dutch legend who wore the glasses (forgot his name) Wasn't he supposed to be in the league. 3) He said the Maradona was on England!