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India football auction spending hits $7m | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
India has held its first football auction, ahead of a league competition that hopes to mirror the success of the country's IPL cricket tournament. | |
The Premier League Soccer (PLS) auction in Calcutta saw the owners of five teams shelling out some $7m on foreign players and coaches. | |
Former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo topped the list at $840,000. | |
The competition kicks off in March in India's football capital, the north-eastern state of West Bengal. | |
Last year, Calcutta hosted India's first international friendly between overseas teams, with Argentina beating Venezuela 1-0. | |
'New path' | 'New path' |
The tournament is expected to feature six teams. Each has a salary cap of $2.5m. | |
There were five "icon players" up for grabs. | |
Barasat, one of the five franchises, won the bidding for Crespo. | |
Italy's World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, cost Siliguri $830,000 while Howrah2 paid $800,000 for former France midfielder Robert Pires. | |
Ex-Nigeria player Jay Jay Okocha went to Durgapur for $550,000 and Kolkata signed ex-England attacker Robbie Fowler for $530,000. | |
Five foreign managers were also auctioned. | |
Organisers of the PLS hope to emulate the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricket tournament that attracts huge crowds and which inaugurated the auction system. | |
They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries. | They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries. |
"I think that we are at the crossroads for Indian football. I am sure that the PLS will provide a new path," Bhaswar Goswami, one of the organisers, told the BBC. | |
But critics of the league say the money would have been better spent in developing talent and question whether football can ever challenge the multi-billion dollar business of cricket in India. | But critics of the league say the money would have been better spent in developing talent and question whether football can ever challenge the multi-billion dollar business of cricket in India. |
Football has been played and followed in India for almost 200 years. | Football has been played and followed in India for almost 200 years. |
The televising of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 made Maradona a hero and created a generation of Argentina fans. | The televising of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 made Maradona a hero and created a generation of Argentina fans. |
An Indian company, Venky's, now owns the Premiership club Blackburn Rovers. | An Indian company, Venky's, now owns the Premiership club Blackburn Rovers. |
Liverpool are setting up an academy in Delhi and Manchester United chief executive David Gill has spoken openly about his team's desire to crack the Indian market. | Liverpool are setting up an academy in Delhi and Manchester United chief executive David Gill has spoken openly about his team's desire to crack the Indian market. |