Page 3 - Indian Football

Messi's first contract with Barca was signed on napkin, now up for auction

Lionel Messi's record-breaking career with Barcelona started with a contract written on a napkin. It's up for auction with a starting price of 300,000 pounds (USD 379,000). British auction house Bonhams is selling the napkin in an online auction from March 18-27 on behalf of Horacio Gaggioli, an agent from Messi's home country of Argentina who was part of the deal. The napkin, bearing the date December 14, 2000, bears the signatures of Gaggioli, another agent, Josep Maria Minguella and Barcelona's then-sporting director, Carles Rexach, who met at a tennis club in Barcelona. It outlines an agreement in principle to sign Messi and was intended to reassure his father, Jorge Messi, that the deal would go through. A more formal and detailed contract with the club followed soon after. "This is one of the most thrilling items I have ever handled. Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that was at the inception of Lionel Messi's career," Ian Ehling, the head of fine books and

Super Cup: East Bengal win title, book place in Asian Champions League 2

Kolkata heavyweights East Bengal were on Sunday crowned champions of the Super Cup after emerging 3-2 winner in a thrilling final against Odisha FC with Cleiton Silva scoring the decisive goal here. Despite both sides having multiple chances to score, neither could convert as the match ended 2-2 after regulation time and also after the end of the first half of extra-time. Brazilian recruit Cleiton struck the winner for East Bengal in the 111th minute of the match, leaving his team in a state of frenzy and the opponents shocked. Cleiton capitalised on a mistake from the Odisha FC goalkeeper and came up with a neat finish at a crucial juncture of the match, slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner with a left-footed shot. Odisha FC tried desperately for an equaliser in the remaining minutes but the East Bengal defence was up to the task, marking their opponents. East Bengal deserved credit for how they went about their task after they lost Shouvik following a second yellow car

AFC Asian Cup 2023: India must win against Syria to keep alive faint hopes

Winless, and pointless, after losing two group matches, India need nothing more than a win against a tricky Syria to keep alive their faint hopes of making the knockout stage of AFC Asian Cup football tournament here on Tuesday. A 0-2 and 0-3 defeat to Australia and Uzbekistan laid bare India's inability to give strong competition to the top teams of the continent but a win against Syria can salvage some pride for the Sunil Chhetri-led side. Syria are currently ranked at 91st in the FIFA chart, 11 places above India (102nd) but a victory is not impossible for the Igor Stimac-coached side as they had won in the past -- in 2007, 2009 and 2012 Nehru Cup tournaments. The last time the two sides met, the match ended in a 1-1 draw in the 2019 Intercontinental Cup in Ahmedabad, and Stimac was also in charge of the Indian team then. India will finish third in Group B if they beat Syria at Al Bayt Stadium but even that will not guarantee them a place in the round of 16. With a goal differe

IND vs UZB, AFC Asian Cup Highlights: Listless India lose 0-3 to Uzbeks

India vs Uzbekistan Highlights, AFC Asian Cup football: The Blue Tigers were tamed by the White Wolfs as the Uzbeks punished a listless Indian team 3-0 in the group B affair in Doha

Santosh Trophy final round to begin on February 21

The final round of the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy will begin on February 21 in Itanagar and all the matches will be played at Golden Jubilee stadiu, the AIFF announced on Sunday. Hosts Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Meghalaya have earned direct entries in the 12-team tournament which will conclude on March 9. The other teams in the fray are Goa, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Services, Maharashtra, Kerala, Mizoram and Railways. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services and Kerala have been clubbed in Group A. The Group B consists of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram and Railways.

India vs Australia, AFC Asian Cup Highlights: Blue Tigers go down defending

India vs Australia Highlights, AFC Asian Cup 2024: The Blue Tigers gave it their all, but two moments of chaos, one by Gurpreet Singh and another by defenders meant they lost the game 0-2 to Socceroos

People should give Mahesh bhai credit for our clean sheets: Sandesh Jhingan

India have had nine clean sheets in 2023 and star centre-back Sandesh Jhingan on Wednesday attributed the defenders' success in the year gone by to the team's assistant coach, Mahesh Gawli, one of the top stoppers of his time. While the players did the job on the field, the man quietly working behind the scenes was former India centre-back Gawali. The respect that Gawali commands within the dressing room as one of the best defenders of his time and as an assistant coach is massive. "Mahesh bhai has been one of the stalwarts of the game during his days as a player, and now we learn so much from his experience," Jhingan said. "What he's done for the country is immense, it's just great to have him around. People should give him a lot of credit when they praise us for keeping clean sheets." Gawli, 43, played for India in 68 matches between 2000 and 2011, marshalling the team's defence alongside people like Deepak Mondal and then Gouramangi Singh. Speaking about Gawli, Jhingan said, "

AIFF evaluates possibility of implementing Additional Video Review System

The AIFF has written to the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the laws of the game, to explore the possibility of India participating in the trial of the Additional Video Review System' (AVRS). The VAR technology, which was first used in FIFA events in 2016-17, supports the decision-making process of the referee in four game-changing situations: goals and offences leading up to a goal, penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty, direct red card incidents, and mistaken identity. "Our prime objective here is to reduce the margin of error by empowering match officials with the technology to assist in their decision-making," All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey said in a media release. "While we will continue to work to implement VAR, I feel that, to begin with, AVRS can be a great option for a country like India. "AVRS would help us study the impact of the technology, train our match officials with the new concept,

Asian Cup football 2023: India announce 26-member squad, Chhetri to lead

India will start their campaign on Saturday, January 13 against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan

Players' strength of character key to final line-up of Asian Cup: Stimac

Lined up to face strong sides like Australia and Uzbekistan in the AFC Asian Cup football in Doha next month, India head coach Igor Stimac on Friday said "strength of character" will be the parameter to decide who will be included in the final squad. India are clubbed with formidable Australia, strong central Asian side Uzbekistan and tricky Syria -- all above Stimac's team in the FIFA rankings -- in the group stage of the Asian Cup from January 13 onwards. All the boys in the (probable) list are similar in their football qualities. What we are looking for the final list of 26 is definitely experience, physical strength, and the final line will be drawn by the strength of their character, Stimac said on the All India Football Federation's social media handles. This is very important for us as a team, because no matter the talent, if there is no character nothing can be achieved, he added. Stimac will announce his final 26 players before the team's departure on Saturday. Regarding

AFC Cup: Odisha FC to face ASEAN Zone champions in Inter Zone semis

Indian Super League side Odisha FC has been pitted against a yet to be determined ASEAN Zone champions in the Inter Zone semi-final of the ongoing AFC Cup during a draw ceremony here on Thursday. Odisha FC had emerged victorious in the AFC Cup South Zone, having beaten Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh in their final Group D encounter earlier this month. Four teams -- Central Coast Mariners FC (Australia), Phnom Penh Crown FC (Cambodia), Macarthur FC (Australia) and Sabah FC (Malaysia) -- are vying for the ASEAN Zone champions honour. The ASEAN Zone final will take place on February 22 and the winner will face Odisha FC in the Inter Zone semi-final, which will be a double-leg affair. The opening leg will take place on March 6 or 7 at the home of the ASEAN Zone champions, followed by the return leg at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on March 13 or 14. The winner of the Inter Zone semi-final will take on either FC Abdysh-Ata Kant (Kyrgyz Republic) or Futuro FC (Chinese Taipei), the

AIFF president Chaubey proposes pan-India inter-university football League

All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey proposed a pan-India inter-university football league for the development of the sport across the country. Chaubey pointed out that in advanced sporting countries like the United States, the Olympic and World Championships medal winners "are basically products of University Sports". An inter-university football league on a home-and-away basis would serve more than one purpose. Apart from spreading the game, it would help in the growth of infrastructure, students' involvement and their growth in professional life, Chaubey said during the Flagship Summit Digii100 here on Thursday. Majority of these athletes (Olympic and World Championships medal winners), from whichever sporting discipline they are, hone their skills on the pitches of universities," he said in an AIFF release. "For the opportunities they receive, they turn into world-class sporting personalities; all because of their regular exposure and exploits during th

Super Cup to adhere to AFC's 6 overseas players' rule in upcoming season

The Kalinga Super Cup will follow the AFC's six foreign players rule, the All India Football Federation announced on Thursday. The 16 participating teams can register up to six foreign players in the starting line-up with one from Asia. This is in accordance with the AFC club competitions regulations. "This decision has been taken in view of the fact that winners of the Kalinga Super Cup will qualify for the AFC Champions League 2 2024-25," the AIFF stated. The Indian Super League follows a 3+1 rule -- three non-Asian and one Asian player in the starting XI, even as the top-tier league allows to register six foreign players. The 12 ISL clubs have gained direct entry, while the I-League franchises will play the qualifiers to determine the remaining four teams. The teams are divided into four groups with the top-four making the semi-finals. The tournament will take place across two venues in Odisha from January 9-28. Tournament draw is slated on Monday.

Mohun Bagan lose 0-1 to Maziya, end AFC Cup campaign with three losses

Two-time interzonal semifinalists Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Monday went down 0-1 to Maziya Sports & Recreation to conclude their AFC Cup campaign with three losses from six matches. The Juan Ferrando-coached side failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams. Mohun Bagan finished their AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches. The Indian heavyweights were unlucky as Taison Singh's powerful 50th minute strike from outside the box rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced across the goal before Maziya custodian Hussain Shareef pounced on it. In the 66th minute, Maziya right-back Hussain Sifaau's shot from distance missed the Bagan goal by inches after taking a slight deflection on its way. Substitute Hamza Mohamed's shot from a tight angle was blocked by Bagan goalkeeper ...

Odisha FC beat Basundhara Kings, make it to first-ever inter-zonal semis

Odisha FC beat Bangladesh's Basundhara Kings 1-0 riding on Mourtada Fall's 61st strike to qualify for the AFC Cup knock-out for the first time while two-time inter-zonal semifinalists Mohun Bagan went down to Maziya Sports & Recreation of Maldives to exit from the group league stage. Odisha FC, after finishing on top in the group stage, have qualified for the zonal play-off semifinal, winning which will make them play in the zonal final. In the 61st minute, Mourtada secured the crucial lead for the Kalinga Warriors with a decisive header. Earlier in Male, the Juan Ferrando-coached Mohun Bagan failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams. Mohun Bagan finished their AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches. The Indian heavyweights were unlucky as Taison Singh's powerful 50th minute .

Indians should compete against different footballing cultures: Luis Garcia

Spain and Liverpool legend Luis Garcia believes that Indian football can touch global heights if the players are given exposure to different leagues abroad and nourish young talents and coaches methodically. Garcia, who was part of the ISL title-winning Atletico de Kolkata side in 2014, said giving the Indian footballers a chance to appear in foreign leagues will expand their knowledge bandwidth. "It is very important because you compete against a different style of football (abroad). If you have to wait for the last stages of a tournament to compete against them, then it is only going to be 1 or 2 games, and they need to compete more often. "I think it's important that the Indian (national) team travel away during the year, and try to have friendly games in Asia and around. The scoreline doesn't matter as it is about having the feeling of facing a different kind of football," Garcia, who appeared in 77 matches for Liverpool between 2004 and 2007 Premier League seasons, told PTI her

Kalinga Super Cup to kick off on January 9, AFC CL prelim spot up for grabs

The Kalinga Super Cup, to be played at two venues in Odisha from January 9, will feature both the ISL and I-League teams with the winners being nominated to play in the AFC Champions League 2 Preliminary Stage. "The format of the tournament will consist of four groups of four teams each, who will play single-leg matches amongst themselves. The group winners will qualify for the semifinals followed by the final to be played on January 28," said All India Football Federation in a statement on Wednesday. The I-League teams will play the qualifiers to get into the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup where four slots have been reserved for them in the group stage. "The Champions of Kalinga Super Cup will be nominated to play in the ACL 2 Preliminary Stage of AFC 2023-24 season," said the AIFF. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said, "As per the decision we took earlier, the annual Super Cup tournament will now be organised in a bigger and broader perspective. "The tournament will now be k

Mohun Bangan Super Giant's Asian dreams crashed by Odisha FC in AFC Cup

A dominant Odisha FC humiliated reigning ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant 5-2 in their high-scoring penultimate Group D clash of the AFC Cup here on Monday, leaving the legacy club's legion of fans crestfallen in their own backyard. The seasoned Hugo Boumous propelled Mohun Bagan into lead with his 17th-minute strike at the Salt Lake Stadium. Roy Krishna found the equaliser in the 29th minute and Diego Mauricio silenced the home crowd by putting Odisha FC ahead with his 32nd-minute goal. The visiting OFC scored two goals in a span of three minutes. More misery awaited Mohun Bagan as Cy Goddard made it 3-1 in favour of OFC by finding the back of the net in the 41st minute, leaving the fans wearing the green-and-maroon jersey at the Salt Lake Stadium shocked. The hosts sought a way back into the game after the interval and came close as the hour approached, Liston Colaco's free-kick from 30 yards hitting the top of the OFC crossbar on the way over. But it was game on in the 63r

World Cup 2026 Qualifier India vs Qatar highlights: India lose 0-3 to Qatar

India vs Qatar football match highlights: Qatar would have won by a bigger margin had they not missed several chances while dominating throughout the 90 minutes at the Kalinga Stadium.

IND vs QAT football: Nothing to lose but a hell of a lot to gain - Stimac

Head coach Igor Stimac on Monday said that India have nothing to lose but a hell of a lot to gain in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round 2 qualifiers match against Asian champions Qatar here on Tuesday. India's 1-0 away win against Kuwait on November 16 will certainly boost their confidence but Stimac made it clear that "Qatar is out of our league", though the home side will seek to take inspiration from their famous goal-less draw against the Asian champions four years ago. "The Kuwait game was the most important game in our qualifiers in this group. We had an away win against our direct opponent for the second spot," Stimac said at the pre-match press conference. "We are very realistic, we know that Qatar is out of our league. But we also know that this is football, the most beautiful game in the world which provides opportunities and this is our opportunity." Stimac urged his players to consider Tuesday's match at the Kalinga Stadium as any other game and give their best. "We all k