The players draft of the Indian Super League (ISL) which was held over the weekend did not produce many surprises with the teams filling in most of the available Indian talent suited for their needs for the upcoming fourth season of the league. Out of 205 players that went under the hammer, 134 were picked by the 10 teams in the now expanded league -- Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC are the new franchises in the tournament. The teams spent a total of Rs 37.33 crore to buy their picks, which means an average of Rs 27.86 lakh was given for each recruit.
Interestingly, we saw different strategies from the teams in the way they went about buying their recruits. While some of the teams were going for the best players that could fit into their squad, two teams followed a similar pattern in their hirings. FC Goa and NorthEast United FC -- two of the most eye-catching teams over the three seasons of the tournament -- had all their focus on buying local players from their State/region. While the Gaurs picked up eight Goan players, including the highly talked about Brandon Fernandes, the Highlanders continued their strategy of recruiting local talent from the north-eastern States. In contrast, teams like Delhi Dynamos -- who hadn't retained a single player before the draft -- and Pune City went all out for the biggest available domestic names.
In a league like ISL, the strategy during the players draft is as important as the on-field plans. While it may seem prudent to have a more aggressive strategy, the focus of FC Goa and NorthEast United of playing and promoting only local talent is praiseworthy. The teams have always followed this model and have been pretty successful -- the Gaurs being one of the most consistent teams in the young league, barring a horrible last season.
The ISL overall has been a big success, attracting big television audiences that has spurred the interest of the Indian public in the sport. With the tournament getting official recognition from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) this year, it is expected to get bigger and better this season. Also, the ISL winners are now eligible to play in the preliminary stage of the AFC Cup after the Asian body granted a "special dispensation" to the league organised by IMG-Reliance, the financial partners of the All India Football Federation.
Closer home, FC Goa will look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last year. After the change of ownership last season, the team seemed unsettled during their 2016 campaign. With a change at the helm with Spaniard Sergio Lobera Rodriguez taking over from the very popular Brazilian legend Zico, much is expected of the Gaurs this season. Only this time, it could be Spanish Tango rather than the Brazilian Samba.
Interestingly, we saw different strategies from the teams in the way they went about buying their recruits. While some of the teams were going for the best players that could fit into their squad, two teams followed a similar pattern in their hirings. FC Goa and NorthEast United FC -- two of the most eye-catching teams over the three seasons of the tournament -- had all their focus on buying local players from their State/region. While the Gaurs picked up eight Goan players, including the highly talked about Brandon Fernandes, the Highlanders continued their strategy of recruiting local talent from the north-eastern States. In contrast, teams like Delhi Dynamos -- who hadn't retained a single player before the draft -- and Pune City went all out for the biggest available domestic names.
In a league like ISL, the strategy during the players draft is as important as the on-field plans. While it may seem prudent to have a more aggressive strategy, the focus of FC Goa and NorthEast United of playing and promoting only local talent is praiseworthy. The teams have always followed this model and have been pretty successful -- the Gaurs being one of the most consistent teams in the young league, barring a horrible last season.
The ISL overall has been a big success, attracting big television audiences that has spurred the interest of the Indian public in the sport. With the tournament getting official recognition from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) this year, it is expected to get bigger and better this season. Also, the ISL winners are now eligible to play in the preliminary stage of the AFC Cup after the Asian body granted a "special dispensation" to the league organised by IMG-Reliance, the financial partners of the All India Football Federation.
Closer home, FC Goa will look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last year. After the change of ownership last season, the team seemed unsettled during their 2016 campaign. With a change at the helm with Spaniard Sergio Lobera Rodriguez taking over from the very popular Brazilian legend Zico, much is expected of the Gaurs this season. Only this time, it could be Spanish Tango rather than the Brazilian Samba.
