Fifty Odd players In The Lurch !

With the closing date-August 30- to register Indian players for the forthcoming ISL approaching, over fifty odd players-quite a few of them Goans will find themselves in the lurch unless some I league teams come to their rescue in the future. The situation is not grim if their pay demands will be realistic.

Dempo Sports Club and JCT. Punjab are two teams in the second division of the I league on the prowl for talent. “We are taking stock of our situation with players. Some of our players are going to join FC Goa soon and I don’t know whether they will be available for the I League. Fitness of the players will have to be checked after the ISL “ stated  Dempo SC coach Mauricio Afonso. “Players are available. We are looking out for some good talent to make it to the I league next season. It is too early to start signing as the second division league starts after the ISL,” stated a former player linked with JCT.

“Players are finding themselves unattached to teams as quite a few joined the draft own their own without the permission of their clubs. Those who joined the draft as ‘ free agent’ after finding some difficulties now as the old clubs they were associated with are not taking a call in their favour,” stated a Football Sports Development Ltd  (FSD)–promoters of Indian Super league (ISL)- team member.

“Had players come in through their teams, as many players did, and not picked up in the draft they would still be in their teams? It looks like there was a misunderstanding. But, this is not the end of the road. After all, players need teams and teams need players. As long as the emphasis is on competition, no one should feel short changed,” stated the FSD source to The Goan.

Players can be in the draft through their teams or opt to be there through agents according to ISL guidelines. With the number of agents increasing, quite a few players have their own agents managing their careers.

Franchises have till September 2 to sign up to nine foreign players and till September 10 for additional two players. The same is optional.

There were around fifteen Goan boys who did not get drafted initially. A few did later on and most were picked up by FC Goa. Attempts to zero in on Goan players who joined the draft through their clubs and through agents proved futile as the same is no longer on the ISL website anymore.

However, as of now, it looks like over ten Goan boys have no teams to call theirs. “Most of the players will be taken back by their old clubs. Some teams may be hurting now but when the time comes, they will go back to their old players and the other way round,” stated a senior player.

Brian Mascarenhas, Gilbert Oliveira, Beevan D’Mello ,Cajetan Fernandes, Keenan Almeida, Collin Abranches, Mathew Gonsalves, Velito Cruz are some of the Goan players not picked up during the draft . Their wait may continue for another three weeks or a little more.