FCBEscola Camp Kicks Off In New Delhi

FCBEscola, in association with Conscient Football, began the first of the two camps at The British School, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The second camp will take place at The Heritage School Gurgaon. With 180 participants, the camp has been divided in two batches of 90 each.

The first phase of the camp was held from December 30, 2011 to January 04, 2012 with January 01, 2012 being the day off. All participants received an official FCB Camp kit to wear during their 15 hours of FCBEscola training.

Ex-Barcelona player and now coach at FCBEscola Josep ‘Pep’ Moratalla is leading the training assisted by two Spanish coaches, six coaches from Conscient Football and six assistants. The participants are in following groups - Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 17.

The camp is open to both boys and girls of all football playing abilities. During the intense sessions, participants will be trained in the same manner the FC Barcelona players undergo.

Anupama Jain, Director – Conscient Football, said, “This has been a great start as we have received phenomenal interest from players in Delhi as well as from other cities around the country. The participants represent over 80 schools and we have a number of girls who have registered for the camp which reflects the growth of football in India.”

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Bayern Munich Stars excited about India's trip

India is fast becoming a destination for international football clubs and their leading stars are equally excited about playing in front of a billion and more people. 

Thomas Mueller, the winner of the ‘Golden Boot’ at the 2010 FIFA Wold Cup, is thrilled to be leading a bevy of stars from FC Bayern Munich to play against the Indian National Team at the Audi Football Summit, to be held in New Delhi on January 10, 2012.  This will be Muller’s second trip to India, and he’s “happy that more and more kids are playing the game in India”.

Talking about his forthcoming trip, the German star said, “I am happy to come back after the visit to Kolkata and Siliguri in January 2009.”  Mueller, also the ‘Best Young Player’ at the previous World Cup, sought to motivate young Indian footballers by saying, “Football is the best team sport in the world.”

Mario Gomez said that the entire team was looking forward to the tie against the Indian team. The striker said, “The trip to India will be a big experience for us, as most of us have not been to India."

German great Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was honoured twice as ‘European Footballer of the Year’, said the club was happy was send their full first team for the exhibition tie.

“I have heard about the great experiences from our players and coaches when they traveled for Oliver Kahn’s farewell match. We are now delighted to bring the full first team to India. Many of us are excited about the country, the city of Delhi, the people and their enthusiasm for football,” said Rummenigge, who is currently the CEO of FC Bayern Munich AG.

Josef Jupp Heynckes, the coach of FC Bayern Munich, said, he would like to utilize the opportunity to the hilt at the Audi Football Summit.

“We are coming to India after a week long training camp in Qatar. We will want to show quality football and want to present ourselves in the best possible manner. Naturally, I would like to utilize the opportunity to learn more about Indian football. I really look forward to it,” said Heynckes, who belonged to the German national squad that won the World Cup and European Championship in the early 1970s.

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Sunil Chhetri,the Indian player of the Year

Sunil Chhetri is India's player of the year.

Chhetri was chosen by I-League coaches who voted on a shortlist of five.

The criteria for selection stated performance on the field primarily for India’s International matches and general conduct, both on and off the field.

Chhetri, 27, has scored 13 goals in 17 International matches this year, the most by any Indian footballer.

The Mohun Bagan forward was also named the man of the championship in the recently concluded SAFF Championship in New Delhi and also scored 11 goals in 20 club appearances this year.

Chhetri, who is currently out with torn ligaments in his left ankle, was ecstatic at having won the award for the second time.

"It's the highest recognition for an Indian footballer and I am honoured to receive the Award for the second time."

"At a time when I confined to my home with my plastered leg, this is perhaps, the best Christmas and New Year present."

"The year started off well for me and ends in the best possible fashion. I'm elated - at a loss of words. The award explains that I'm improving with every given day."

Chhetri's successful year started with the Asian Cup where he scored two goals.

"Looking back, it has been an excellent year for me," he said.

"A footballer always needs to constantly keep himself motivated and look eager for the next challenge. In the entire year, the moment I finished a match, I longed for the next challenge to kick-off. That explains the year for me."

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Happy that kids are playing football in India: Thomas Mueller

Winner of the `Golden Boot` at the 2010 Wold Cup, star Bayern Munich and German footballer Thomas Mueller has urged youngsters in India to take up the sport ahead of the club`s upcoming trip to the country.


"Football is the best team sport in the world, (I`m) happy that more and more kids are playing the game in India," said Mueller, who will be leading a bevy of stars when Bayern play the Indian national team in Bhaichung Bhutia`s farewell match here on January 10.

This will be Mueller`s second trip to the country.

"I am happy to come back after the visit to Kolkata and Siliguri in January 2009," the attacking midfielder, who was also voted the `Best Young Player` at the last World Cup in South Africa, said.
Mueller`s team-mate at Bayern, striker Mario Gomez said that the entire team was looking forward to the trip, organised by Audi. "The trip to India will be a big experience for us, as most of us have not been to India," Gomez, who had joined the German champion for a record transfer fee, said.

Two-time `European Footballer of the Year`, German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who enjoyed great success with Bayern, said the club was happy to be sending its first team.

"I have heard about the great experiences from our players and coaches when they travelled for (former captain and goalkeeper) Oliver Kahn`s farewell match. We are now delighted to bring the full first team to India.

"Many of us are excited about the country, the city of Delhi, the people and their enthusiasm for football," said Rummenigge, who is currently the CEO at Bayern.

Coach Josef Jupp Heynckes said they would be looking to present themselves in the best possible manner.

"We will want to show quality football and want to present ourselves in the best possible manner. Naturally, I would like to utilise the opportunity to learn more about Indian football," said Heynckes, who was part of the German squad that won the World Cup and the European Championship in the early 1970s.

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Churchill Brothers beat Shillong Lajong 6-0

Churchill Brothers displaced their Goan rivals Dempo SC at the top of the league standings after handing out a 6-0 thumping to the visiting Shillong Lajong outfit in a tenth round I-League encounter at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Saturday.

The comfortable victory helped Churchill take their tally to 23 points, two more than Dempo Sports Club, who have a match in hand against Air India on Sunday.

Gabonese import Henri Antchouet grabbed a second half hat-trick, his first for his new club in the league, after Roberto Mendes Da Silva had opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Lalrindika Ralte had added to it almost immediately at the half hour mark.

Antchouet’s strike partner ND Opara too added his name to the score sheet in the 54th minute.

Churchill were in full control of the game throughout the 90 minutes as they easily dictated the proceedings while their Shillong based rivals continued to be sloppy in possession.


Beto and Henri missed presentable chances in the early minutes of the game but the Brazilian Beto made up for it by converting a penalty, which he had earned after a foul on him by Wailadmi Passah, to give the Goans the lead in the 29th minute.

However the Churchill Brothers faithful had barely stopped celebrating when Ralte scored with a breathtaking effort, as he won possession just outside the box before majestically curling a shot into the top corner of the net.

The Goan side hit the ground running in the second half as they added two more quick strikes to their tally with first ND Opara finding the back of the net after some clever play between him and Henri, before the Gabonese too joined the party as he got to the end of a through ball by Ralte to make it 4-0.

The going got even worse for Pradhyum Reddy’s men when they conceded another penalty just past the half hour mark and saw their goalkeeper Soram Anganba red carded for fouling Ralte. Lajong saw off the immediate danger as substitute keeper Lalthuammawia Ralte saved Opara’s subsequent effort from the penalty spot.

However the goalkeeper could do nothing when Henri was allowed ample space and time to choose his spot by the Shillong Lajong defence and he duly hammered in Churchill’s fifth goal of the game

The Gabonese striker completed his hat-trick when he got to the end of a Steven Dias through ball and confidently slotted the ball home to put the Goans further ahead.

The last ten minutes produced no more goals as Churchill Brothers claimed all three points which puts them 2 points ahead of Dempo.

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Buy India vs Bayern Munich 10th january 2012 Delhi match tickets

Tickets of India vs Bayern Munich Match [10th january 2012].

The tickets for the India vs FC Bayern Munich match on January 10, 2012 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi went live today on Bookmyshow.com! The tickets have been priced between Rs 100 to 3,000 to be affordable for as many fans as possible.

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I-League Wrap:Salgaocar SC 1-3 Pune FC

Salgaocar Sports Club’s strong second half comeback was not good enough as Pune FC walked away with an emphatic 3-1 victory in a ninth round I-League encounter at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Thursday.

S. Venkatesh, Keita Mandjou and substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua got the goals for Pune FC while Ryuji Sueoka’s 23rd minute goal had briefly brought Salgaocar Sports Club on level terms.

Venkatesh, a former international who still has some bite left in him, sounded the warning to Salgaocar early in the game when he essayed a firm right footer that missed the target narrowly.

The match, then, was just a minute old and it was clear that the visitors were ready to take the battle to the opposition.

Pune FC deservedly took the lead in the 18th minute, when defender Srikant Ramu moved up on the right flank and sent a cross into the box where Venkatesh made Salgaocar pay for leaving him unmarked.

Salgaocar got their act together and drew level in the 23rd minute. Edeh Chidi’s shot was blocked by Pune goalkeeper Abhra Mondal but the rebound fell nicely at the feet of Sueoka, who made no mistake from close.

Pune FC were ahead for the second time in the match in the 35th minute and this time too Venkatesh was at the heart of the goal. The veteran cut past a defender and picked out Keita Mandjou at the goalmouth to do the damage.

The second half saw a strong comeback from Salgaocar. Their strikers were all over the rival territory but the home side could not take any of their chances.

Once, Bishwajit Saha’s attempt hit the crossbar, and to make things worse, it was Pune FC substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua who added his name to the scoresheet with a fine counter-attack initiated by Izumi Arata.

This was Pune FC's first away win as they took their tally to 14 points, but importantly they managed to catapult three places up the league table to sixth position.

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East Bengal beat Dempo SC 2-1

Dempo SC failed to recover from the 2-1 defeat to Churchill Brothers as they faltered at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata to gown down with the same scoreline in round nine of the I-League.

Goals from Penn Orji and Tolgay Ozbey sealed the victory for the home side after Clifford Miranda had given his team the lead.

The defeat leaves the gap at the top being down to a point with Churchill Brothers having 20 points in their kitty. East Bengal are now level on points with their arch rivals Mohun Bagan on 19 points.

East Bengal started with Baljit Sahni on bench as coach Trevor Morgan preferred to hand S.Doungel a start alongside Tolgay Ozbey. Dempo SC decided to rest Climax Lawrence but Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda, Anthony Pereira, Samir Naik and Subhasish Chowdhury returned to the line-up.

It was cagey start to the proceedings as neither side looked to commit too many men forward.


The opening goal came in the 11th minute as Clifford Miranda tapped in with Saunik Dey failing to challenge the Dempo winger after Godwin Franco foxed Mehtab Hussain to find his team-mate inside the box.

Thereafter East Bengal woke up and began launching several attacks with Penn Orji at the centre of it all. He released Vashum in space and the winger sent a ball across the face of goal but Ozbey decided to check his run and the chance was wasted.

Saumik Dey sent in a teasing cross from the left which saw Doungel’s header go straight towards the Dempo custodian who fumbled and gave away a corner.

Mehtab was guilty of wasting as many as three corner-kicks as all of them were cleared by the first man.

The equaliser came around the half hour mark as Naoba Singh’s fluffed shot saw Gawli’s poor clearance fall for Ozbey who headed it for Orji to score from six yards distance.

Two minutes later, Mehtab finally got it right from the flag-kick as Orji flicked it for Ozbey whose header was cleared off the line by Naik.

Dempo’s midfield duo of Peter Carvalho and Godwin Franco were poor as they were never really in the game. East Bengal was gifted the possession at every opportunity and they made them pay for it.

Orji released Ozbey, who did well to get away from his marker Naik, and nor did Gawli’s tackle or the onrushing Subhasish could stop the Australian to slot the home to place the ball into an empty net.

After the break, Dempo players kept giving away possession cheaply with Pereira, Carvalho and Franco being the guilty party.

The space between the midfield and the strikers was way too much which allowed East Bengal to win the balls.

Orji dictated the proceedings as Dempo only looked on in amazement and would thank their stars that more goals weren’t scored.

The Nigerian cut past three Dempo defenders, which included veterans like Gawli, to see his shot come off Naik in the 89th minute. He also appealed for a penalty when it was Cresson Antao’s thigh which saved the Goan side.

Dempo need to get things back on track as soon as possible and the match at home against Air India offers just that. East Bengal will be buoyed with their performance especially Orji, who was by far the man of the match.

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Air India beat Sporting Clube De Goa 3-1

Air India rallied from a goal behind to beat Sporting Clube de Goa 3-1 in a round nine of the I-League match played at the Nehru stadium in Goa, on Wednesday.

Sandesh Gadkari cancelled the home side’s eighth minute opener scored by James Moga with a 34th minute strike, and completed his brace in the 85thminute while Ezeh Henry’s 90th minute goal sealed the win for the away side.

Sporting Clube de Goa started without regular backs Samananda Singh and Mathew Gonsalves while the Airmen had Rahul Bhike and Sandesh Gadkari in front with Manandeep Singh and Collin Abranches on the two wings.

The Airmen had a chance to go ahead in the first minute itself, when Sandesh Gadkari headed Rahul Bheke's cross wide of the goal.
In the eighth minute, Lamine Tamba brought down James Moga, and Sporting surged ahead from the resulting free kick taken by Freiman Peixoto.

Air India were unfortunate to see goalkeeper Pawan Kumar spill the ball in his own net after Moga nodded the ball towards the goal.

Ekendra Singh’s side then missed a couple of chances to go further ahead with skipper Freiman Peixoto and Jovel Martins being the guilty party as they failed to truly test the keeper, except when the latter forced a save from rival keeper Pawan Kumar in the 26th minute.

Air India scored the equaliser in the 34th minute when Manandeep ran down the right wing and sent a cross across the goal-mouth to Sandesh Gadkari who had the easy job to nod the ball past a stranded Gerard D’Mello.

Sporting tried to hit on the counter, but Jovel Martins’ cross was headed out by James Moga before they almost went down by two goals as D’Mello waited on to catch Collin Abranches' cross while Manandeep got in front of him but despairingly headed wide.

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Mohun Bagan beat HAL 4-2

An inspired second half display by Mohun Bagan saw them overturn the two goal deficit from the first half to win 4-2 at the Bangalore Stadium in round nine of the I-League.

Goals from Malemngamba Meetei and Jagaba Hamza put the home side in the driver’s seat before Odafa Okolie’s brace and goals each from Jewel Raja and Manish Maithani earned them three points.

HAL started with Vinod Kumar partnering Jagaba Hamza upfront while Bagan, bereft of Sunil Chhetri due to an injury, had Jose Barreto and Odafa Okolie as their front two.

The first real piece of action saw Hamza earning himself a booking after Kingshuk Debnath’s tackle saw the former allegedly dive to appeal for a penalty in the eighth minute.

Thereafter Mohun Bagan’s Snehashish Chakraborty kept finding open spaces from the left and his cross saw Barreto’s shot being cleared off the line by Liliyan Kenneth.

It was very much against the run of play that HAL took lead when R.C.Prakash foxed Dhanarajan to see his cross from the right being met by the diving header of Malemngamba Meetei. Defenders Anwar and Debnath were equally at fault as Dhanarajan for allowing Meetei a free header inside the box.

Subrata Bhattacharya responded by bringing in N.P.Pradeep for Dhanarajan; Syed Rahim Nabi slotted in as a left-back, Jewel Raja are the right winger and the former Mahindra United medio in the middle of the park.

Bagan could have equalized when Joseph Adeola’s clearance came off Odafa for Barreto and as the Brazilian lined-up for a shot, goalkeeper Pramod did well to thwart the danger.

The Green and Maroons defence crumbled once again when Hamza, with his second touch, scored from a long ball as none of the Bagan defenders managed to clear the danger nor did the onrushing Sangram Mukherjee.

After the break, HAL were forced to substitute Adeola after he was stretchered off at the end of the first half.

It was Bagan who started the brighter of the two sides though HAL had a decent chance when Prakash laid the ball for Meetei who couldn’t keep his shot down.

Odafa was almost through on ball when Pramod made a crucial intervention to deny the Bagan number nine.

The goal came in the 60th minute when Snehashish’s cross from the left saw an unmarked Odafa head home.

Snehashish had the chance to equalize but he fluffed his shot wide under pressure from Kenneth inside the box.

HAL should have had the match under their bag when Prakash and Meetei combined and the former’s cross only need a touch which the onrushing Vinod couldn’t provide.

The equaliser eventually came in the 70th minute when from a Snehashish flag-kick, Raja flicked on for Odafa to head in.

Thereafter once again HAL should have capitalised much better when a James Singh effort was punched away for a corner. From the ensuing flag-kick, Mukherjee came off his line to miss the flight of the ball and Hamza’s header came off the crossbar. The ball once again came at the feet of the striker but his feeble effort was cleared off the line by Debnath.

It was Snehashish who released Nabi and the latter pulled it back for Odafa whose first time left footed shot fell for Raja who scored from six yards out in the 88th minute.

Substitute Manish Maithani scored a gem of a goal as he controlled the ball, cut inside and placed the ball beyond the goalkeeper to make it 4-2.

The win takes Bagan to the second slot in the standings and just two points behind Dempo SC, who are in action in Kolkata against East Bengal on Thursday.

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India won SAFF championship as they beat Afghanistan 4-0

India comprehensively defeated ten-man Afghanistan 4-0 in the finals of the SAFF Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi with referee Sukhbir Singh being at the epicenter of events.

The defending champions came alive only in the final 20 minutes after Afghanistan’s Hameedullah Yousefzari was sent-off under questionable circumstances.

A penalty from Sunil Chhetri and goals from Clifford Miranda, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sushil Singh sealed the victory for the Indians.

The two coaches named an unchanged line-up from the one that started in the semi-finals.

It was Afghanistan who started on a brighter note as the very first minute needed a last ditch clearance from Gouramangi Moirangthem after Anthony Pereira gave away the ball and Balal Arezou was through.

The next minute it was Arezou again as he picked up a ball in the second minute from Ghulam Hoddein and his shot from the top of the box was stopped by Karanjit Singh.


The Men in Blue were finding it difficult to find their feet as they failed to stitch together a couple of passes inside the opposition half.

Gouramangi couldn’t keep pace with Arezou who sent in a ball across the face of the goal which Sanjar Ahmadi just about missed by a yard or so.

Around the half way mark of the first half, Yousef Mahsriqi released Arezou in the space between Gouramangi and Mahesh Gawli and the Afghan number nine’s shot was blocked by Karanjit once again.

India’s first real foray forward was when Climax Lawrence’s chip found Clifford Miranda get behind the Afghan defence but the Dempo winger couldn’t control the ball well.

Savio Medeira’s side were second best for most of the first half and couldn’t deal with the pace of their opposition who interestingly had played 120 minutes just a day before.

After the break, India looked the keep the ball with Climax being the chief instigator as he found Anthony Pereira on the right whose cross saw Jeje’s header go over the bar.

Afghan were finding it difficult to keep up the tempo of the first session and looked content to hit on the counter, which were restricted to a few.

It was around the hour mark that Jeje was allegedly brought down by Faisal Safa inside the box and referee Sukhbir Singh awarded a soft penalty to India. In the aftermath, goalkeeper Hameedullah Yousufzari was given marching orders for pushing the referee.

Chhetri scored from the ensuring spot-kick but had to retake it due to intrusion from Syed Rahim Nabi inside the box. The India number 11 sent the substitute Bashir Ahmad Darman, after winger Ghulam Hoddein had to be sacrificed, the wrong way to help side surge ahead.

With a man down Afghanistan were always susceptible to concede more goals with Faisal Safa receiving treatment on the sidelines, Chhetri played Miranda who took a shot from his unfavoured right foot into the far side of the goal.

Chhetri ran with the ball from the left and laid the ball across for Jeje who from his second touch slotted the ball home.

Substitute Sushil Singh scored a gem of a goal as he scored a goal with the final kick of the match.

That goal turned out to be the last piece of action in the game as the referee blew the final whistle to send the Indian fans, staff and players into delirium as they celebrated another SAFF Championship triumph.

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FC Barcelona To Start Football Camp In Delhi

Barcelona are set to become the latest European club to make a foray into the Indian market after agreeing to a partnership with Conscient Football.

Barcelona have become the latest European club to make a foray into the Indian market as they have launched their football camp “FCBEscola” in association with Conscient Football. They will start their first Indian football training camps in Delhi & Gurgaon from December 30, 2011 onwards.

Around 300 participants from across the city will be trained at two centres – The British School, Delhi and The Heritage School, Gurgaon. Camp at the British School will be held from December 30, 2011 - January 04, 2012 and at The Heritage School it will be held from January 06 - January 10, 2012.

They will launch a 5 days intensive coaching camps with 15 hours of training given to each participant. Scientifically developed, the training program is divided into three segments – Introduction, Pre-Training, and Training for youth in the age groups of 6–17 with the objective to provide world-class training to unearth future world stars.


The 5 day camp will take place on the pitch and in the classroom and will focus on the technical, tactical and off-the-pitch tools necessary to succeed in football.

Announcing the Camp schedule, Anupama Jain, Director – Conscient Football, said, “The initial two camps will be held under the guidance of Joseph Moratalla and we hope that they will be a great start to the project and we will be able to grow them pan India very soon. We have already received interest from many other cities which clearly shows the popularity of  football in India.”

Ex-Barcelona player and now coach at FCBEscola Joseph Moratalla will be the head coach at the camps. He will be assisted by 2 Spanish coaches, 6 coaches from Conscient Football and 6 assistants.  The participants will be divided in following groups - Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 17.

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India can be a top football nation in two decades: Breitner

With top European clubs showing interest in developing football in the country, German legend and 1974 World Cup-winning team member Paul Breitner believes that India can be among the top footballing nations in two decades` time.

"I think within the next 15-20 years India will become a very important football country," said Breitner on Sunday after arriving here on a scouting mission to spot talented under-16 players to play in the Bayern Munich Youth Cup to be held at Allianz Arena in Munich in May.

However, the 60-year-old former Bayern and Real Madrid star felt that lack of infrastructure and an organized training structure for kids and absence of qualified coaches were some hurdles India will have to overcome to achieve that dream.

Breitner, who is an ambassador for top German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, is trying to develop the sport in countries where it is not popular.

Asked if Bayern Munich will set up its own soccer school like English Premier League sides, he said the move called for deeper involvement.

"The problem to launch football school is that you have to be present. It is not done to send one representative or one football coach. You need to organise and send many more at the start. Just lending your name to a football school doesn`t help anybody," he said.


The one-time midfield marshall, who scored 103 goals in 369 appearances in club football, saw his home nation as the favourites to top their group, also featuring Portugal and 2010 World Cup runners-up Netherlands, at the Euro 2012.

"I think we are among the favourites; we want to win. We will win if Spain lets us win. Besides the Spanish squad, we are the top favourites to win the Cup," said Breitner who is among four players to have scored goals in the final of two World Cups - in 1974 against the Netherlands and 1982 against Italy.

Describing football as "funny and exciting", Breitner took a dig at the glamorous English clubs and said they have lost their foothold in the game and need to rethink and develop according to changing times.

"The top four teams of the Premier League thought they will remain the best teams forever. They are playing like they used to 5-6 years ago. You have to learn how Barcelona is dominating the league and football. You have to learn and if you stop learning, then you cannot play as strong as you used to earlier."

He was referring to the elimination of the EPL leaders Manchester City and Manchester United, who have been shown the door in the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich and FC Basel respectively.

Arsenal is the lone English club to secure a berth effortlessly in the knock-out rounds of the tournament while another top club Chelsea managed to scrape through against Valencia.

Breitner added that the cash-rich Manchester City might win the EPL this season though they have been spending their money a bit foolishly.

He declared his verdict on the debate about the best footballer in the world between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by picking the Argentine ahead of the Portugal star. "(Lionel) Messi is 100 per cent. (Cristiano) Ronaldo, Xavi (Hernandez), (Andres) Iniesta, Frank Ribbery are all 96-99 per cent but just one is at 100 per cent. He is the best player (in the world)," he said.

He expected the 24-year old Argentine striker to dominate the game for the next 5-7 years at least.

Asked about FC Barcelona`s form this season, he said, "There comes a situation where you like to relax a little bit. These times have passed for Barcelona. They are on their way to be as successful as they were in the last years. Barcelona is still the number one in world football."

The Spanish La Liga defending champions are right now at number two, three points behind Real Madrid who have an extra game in hand.

Breitner further said he enjoyed playing alongside Germany World Cup legend and former record holder Gerhard Muller more than others.

"There is one player I enjoyed playing with more than others. He was the most important player - Gerd Muller. He was the top scorer in world football. He is the reason why I am sitting here. Bayern Munich and German national team won a lot of awards because of him," he said, adding he regarded Argentine great Diego Maradona as his friend.

He welcomed the recent statement by FIFA President Sepp Blatter that 2014 World Cup in Brazil would have goal-line technology in place, but wanted it to cover more match situations such as off-side rulings and penalties.

"I hope that we will have video analysis to look whether the decision of the referee is correct or not. It is just to help the referees and making the game fairer.

"It should be there especially for off-side and even in situations of penalties. Every situation within 30-yards of penalty should be looked by the technology," he said.

"I have no idea when it happens but I hope I am still alive when this change happens," he chuckled.

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Match Preview:India vs Afganistan

PROBABLE LINEUPS

INDIA Karanjit; Nirmal, Gawli, Gourmangi, Nabi; Pereira, Lamare, Climax(c), Miranda; Jeje, Sunil

AFGHANISTAN Yousufzai; Faisal, Maqadar, Haroon, Djelaluddin; Israfeel, Mashriqi, Ata Yamir Ali, Waheed; Ahmadi, Arezou

Just over a week ago, when India kicked off their SAFF Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan, an eerie silence and a sense of disappointment was prevalent in the Indian camp, as they felt it was two points dropped against a nation from whom not much was expected.Coming back to the present, India finds itself in its seventh final of the SAFF Championship. However the focus is entirely on the Afghanistani team, who have fast become the story of the tournament. A motley group of players, scattered across the world, some of them part-timers, have come together and astounded one and all with their performances in the competition by reaching the finals for the first time in their history.
Yousef Kargar’s side have not only shown great team ethic and workrate, they have also been surprisingly skillful on the ball and are not scared of a physical battle either. Coming into the game after a physically shattering but morale boosting triumph over Nepal, the Lions of Khorasan shall definitely give it their best shot when they come up against India.

India Exercise Caution After Bruising Group Tie....

The hosts meanwhile have also progressed well after that first match against Afghanistan. Having brushed aside Bhutan and Sri Lanka, India also dominated the match against Maldives to set up this final clash against Afghanistan.
While everyone expects India to run away with the trophy, Savio Medeira and his boys know that there is no place for complacency against the Afghans, especially after the first group match debacle.
Medeira knows that Afghanistan, having made the final for the first time and with the vociferous support of their war-ravaged nation with them, definitely will need no more motivation to give their best and with India playing infront of their home fans, the pressure to win shall entirely be on the Indians.
Both the teams go into the final with no injury worries and both the coaches shall have their full roster to choose from.

MEN TO WATCH OUT FOR

Balal Arezou: All of 22 years, the striker has the responsibility of adding that touch of class upfront for the Afghans. Based in Norway, Arezou has dovetailed well with his strike partner Sanjar Ahmadi and has in general been a nuisance to deal with for opposition defenders as he has bought a unique style of skills mixed with physicality.

Center Of Attack For Afghanistan Led By Their Skipper

Tied as the top scorer with Sunil Chhetri at six goals, Arezou’s eyes shall definitely be on scoring the winner which shall combine personal glory with a historic moment in Afghanistan’s football history.
Syed Rahim Nabi: India’s Mr. Versatile has been under-rated within India for far too long. While Jeje Lalpekhlua, Chhetri and Subrata Paul have hogged the limelight in recent years, Nabi has continued to be one of India’s most consistent and dependable players.

For The Sake Of Crying Out Loud, Here's Nabi

Capable of playing anywhere on either wing, Nabi has been holding the Indian defence together during these SAFF Championship, keeping all the opposition players at bay on his wing, while at the same time covering for his defensive colleagues. He has also penned the opposition players back with his barnstorming runs down the wing and got India rolling against Maldives with the crucial opener.
The Mohun Bagan player could finally announce his arrival as a National star for India in the match against Afghanistan.

DID YOU KNOW?

• India and Afghanistan, the two finalists, are the only two teams in the competition who did not employ a foreign coach.

• Sunil Chhetri and Balal Arezou are both tied on six goals at the top of the scoring sheet. If either of them manage to score in the final then they shall break I.M Vijayan’s record of six goals in the 1997 Championship.

• Afghanistan’s best performance in an international competition before this SAFF Championship was the fourth place finish in the 1951 Asian Games, ironically played at the same venue as the final.

• The two teams have faced each other 13 times with India winning an astonishing 10 times with the Afghans winning just once.

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SAFF Wrap:India beat Maldives 3-1

A day of rest and a chance to book their place in the final saw India raise their performance several notches higher to go past ten-men Maldives in the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi.

Sunil Chhetri’s spot-kick turned out to be the difference between the two sides after Shamweel Qasim had cancelled out Syed Rahim Nabi’s first half goal. The Delhi lad scored another at the death to become the competition’s leading goalscorer with six goals.

India shall play the winner of the Afghanistan versus Nepal semi-final on December 11 at the same venue.


Maldives coach Istvan Urbanyi made one change in the starting line-up from the previous match as he included Mohamed Sifan in place of Mohamed Arif. On the other hand, India preferred to go with the same starting eleven.

The very second minute saw Clifford Miranda’s shot from the left being parried by Imran Mohammed with Jeje Lalpekhlua’s shot went over the bar.

A couple of minutes later, it was Ali Ashfaq who did well to cut in from the right and his shot, under pressure from Rocus Lamare, went wide. He had another shy on goal which didn’t bother Indian goalkeeper Karanjit Singh.

Imran Mohammed had to dive to his left to keep the scoreline intact as Jeje’s header from Syed Nabi’s cross was on its way in.

Sunil Chhetri’s attempt from the top of the box after Jeje did well to find him in space brought no rewards as the ball went sailing over the bar.

India kept dominating the possession as they launched several attacks while the opposition weren’t seeing much of the ball to create anything noteworthy.

It was Syed Nabi who opened the scoring as he knocked in a Clifford Miranda’s free-kick to the far post to send the Indian bench into ecstasy.

Shamweel Qasim’s lofted ball was brilliantly controlled by Ashfaq and held off Gouramangi and ended up side netting just before the half-time.

Ahmed Thariq was almost through on goal with a last ditch tackle by Syed Rahim Nabi averting the danger for India.

After the break, Maldives came out all guns blazing as it was Akram Abdul Gani’s cross from the left which Thariq headed but Karanjit Singh punched it over for a corner.

Urbanyi’s side were pressing much better and it seemed that the half-time team talk worked.

The equaliser came around the hour mark when Akram Abdul Gani found Shamweel Qasim whose peach of a shot gave Karanjit no chance whatsoever.

India were given a lifeline when referee Timur Faizullin awarded a soft penalty when Mohamed Umair appeared to have pulled down Chhetri inside the box. Chhetri sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to restore the lead.

Akram Abdul Gani from inside the box sent a ball across the face of the goal which only needed a touch from the outstretched leg of Ahmed Thariq after Karanjit was beaten.

Maldives threw way too many bodies ahead and from a counter, Chhetri crossed for substitute Jewel Raja but the Mohun Bagan midfielder missed it completely.

India had another couple of decent opportunities to add to the scoreline which they failed to capitalise on. However Chhetri had other ideas as he collected Jeje’s pass between two defenders and slotted home for his second.

In the injury time, Ahmed Thariq was given his marching orders as he picked up his second booking of the match.

That was effectively the last real piece of action in the game as India played down the clock and booked their place in the Final.

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India thrashed Sri Lanka 3-0 and reach the semi-final

The defending champions shall face Maldives in the first semi-final of the SAFF Championship as they finished runners-up in Group A after defeating Sri Lanka 3-0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi.

Two second half goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua and Sunil Chhetri , and an own goal by Bandara Warakagoda, helped India go past the Lankans who failed to threaten the Indian backline

India and Afghanistan finished on the same number of points and the head-to-head wouldn’t matter given they played out a 1-1 draw among them. Afghanistan enjoy a better goal difference of +9 when compared to India’s +8.

Savio Medeira made no changes to the line-up from the last match while Sri Lanka brought in Chathura Gunarathna back into the first eleven after having recovered from a bout of flu.


The first chance befell the Men in Blue when Sujan Perera, the Sri Lankan custodian, tried to play the ball out for a goal-kick but gives away a free-kick on the edge of the box. Clifford Miranda’s delivery left a lot to be desired.

Thereafter the game got into a lull mode wherein neither team showed any urgency to win and the pace of the game was too slow which deprived the audience any worthwhile action.

The ball was being aimlessly put forward by the defences of the two sides and the midfield lacked creativity which made the strikers look clueless.

It was in the 39th minute that Chhetri went down the left flank to send in a looping cross which Syed Rahim Nabi, after making a great run from the back, makes a bad connection and the opportunity went begging.

The best moment of the half came when Jeje’s shot on the turn touched the cross-bar on its way out.

India finally managed to get a breakthrough in the 53rd minute when Jeje side footed it in after Chhetri, who was found in space by Anthony Pereira, saw his shot being parried over. A defensive lapse by the Island nation cost them dear.

Jeje could have scored his second of the evening but decided to set-up his strike partner who shot it way over the bar around the hour mark.

Sri Lanka left too much space for the Indian strikers to work around and gave away some needless free-kicks which didn’t help their cause either.

Credit must go to Sujan Perera who kept his side in the game when he tipped over a firm shot from Chhetri from outside the box.

India’s second came through Chhetri who outjumped Danushka Vijesiri to head home from a Clifford Miranda cross.

Towards the end, substitute Sushil Singh put Chhetri through but the striker’s shot went wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Sushil, himself, had an opportunity to score when his header at the near post from a Steven Dias free-kick was collected by the rival goalkeeper.

The final nail in the coffin came in the end when Bandara Warakagoda scored an own goal from a Steven Dias cross in the injury time.

That bought to an end a positive second half performance by India, which saw them run away 3-0 winners on the night and book a place in the semi-finals versus Maldives.

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India not to take Afghanistan lightly

Seeking their sixth title in the regional showpiece football tournament, India would look to open their SAFF Championships campaign on a positive note when they take on Afghanistan on Saturday.

India, playing their first tournament under new coach Savio Medeira, start as favourites against the lowest ranked team among the eight participating nations but the home team can take their rivals lightly at their own peril in the Group A match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

In the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup in Hyderabad, India could only beat Afghanistan by a solitary goal in the injury time (90+2) in the campaign opener.

India are also a bit down on morale after their 0-5 thrashing by Zambia in the international friendly on November 29 and they would want to begin the tournament with a win.

Medeira, who was deputy to then coach Bob Houghton in the AFC Challenge Cup match, refused to take Afghanistan lightly and said his men will have to give their best to earn full points on Saturday.

"In football, the team which plays better on that particular day wins. We have prepared ourselves to the best of our ability and the boys are going to give their 100 per cent. That is important. We are confident that we can beat Afghanistan. But at the same time, we are not taking them lightly," Medeira said after team`s training session at Ambedkar Stadium.

India will, however, be boosted by the return of two strikers Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua, who did not play against Zambia as they were away in Scotland for a trial at Glasgow Rangers.

Medeira did not say that the strike duo would start tomorrow but they are expected to play a part in the match depending on the situation of the game.

"They are the best strikers available in the country. But whether they will play or not will be decided at the team meeting tomorrow," Medeira said.

The back-four of Gouramangi Singh, Mahesh Gawli, Samir Naik and Syed Rahim Nabi leaked goals against Zambia but Medeira is unlikely to tinker with the line-up unless the last two, who are having niggles, do not take the field tomorrow.

Striker Joaquim Abranches is another player, who is nursing a niggle but Medeira said there was no need to worry. Sushil Kumar is the fourth striker named in the 20-member final Indian squad.

Captain Climax Lawrence is expected to partner either Jewel Raja or Rocus Lamare at the centre of the park.

Afghanistan, only the second team in the competition along with India to have a home-grown coach in Mohammed Farid, have a couple of players who play in German third division and they would be looking to upset the Indian applecart if possible.

India Squad:


Karanjit Singh, Subhashish Roy Chaudhari, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Mahesh Gawli, Nirmal Chettri, Samir Naik, Syed Rahim Nabi, Govin Singh, Gouramangi Singh, Climax Lawrence (C), Anthony Pereira, Clifford Miranda, Jewel Raja, Lalrindika Ralte, Steven Dias, Rocus Lamare, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sushil Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Joaquim Abranches. 

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Sunil Chhetri disapponted with the Ranger trials

India striker Sunil Chhetri, who returned after a six-day trial with Scottish football giants Glasgow Rangers, rued the lack of "enough opportunities" and termed his short stay there as "disappointing".

Along with his India team strike partner Jeje Lalpekhlua, Chhetri had flown to Glasgow to attend a trial, but felt he never got enough opportunities to impress manager Ally McCoist.

"On the first day we came here they were preparing for a match the day after, so we couldn`t train. The second day was the match, then the third day they had to rest after the match. On the fourth day they left for Hamburg and we couldn`t go. It was a bit disappointing," Chettri said.

"But this was the only week we had a break in our league. It was the only chance I had to come and have a trial. I`m just disappointed I didn`t get much time with the first team. Even the gaffer didn`t get much time to see us," Chhetri was quoted as saying by Scottish newspaper `Daily Record`.


Chhetri though added that he would love to try his luck one more time.

"If given a chance, Jeje and I would love to come back, in the summer hopefully. It is a huge club with a huge history and we`d love to be a part of it."

McCoist had earlier said that the club would keep a tab on the performances on the two Indian players.

"Sunil and Jeje did fine and showed up well in training. They showed some lovely touches and adapted to the different surroundings they experienced.”

"They are away back home today - but we will keep monitoring their situations and their performances back home. They will continue to play for their sides in India and it was great to have them both working with us as they are talented boys," McCoist said.

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India to face Pak for SAFF Championship

A 22-member Pakistan football team landed in New Delhi on Wednesday evening to participate in the SAFF Championships which begins on Friday.


Pakistan are in Group B along with Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal while defending champions and hosts India are in Group A with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals in the December 2-11 regional tournament to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.


Pakistan captain Jaffar Khan said his team aims to win the hearts of Indian people during their tour, which will mark the revival of sporting ties between two neighbouring countries.

"We are the first team to visit India for a long time and I hope that with our good conduct and play we leave a good impression of Pakistan in India," Khan, who is also the goalkeeper of the side, said at Lahore International Airport before leaving for India.

"We are going to try to win the championship no matter how tough our matches are," he added.

Pakistan will open their campaign on Friday against Bangladesh, followed by matches against Maldives on December 4 and Nepal December 6.

India froze all sporting relations with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks carried out by militants from across the border.

But a recent thaw in the relationship has led to hopes of a resumption of full sporting ties between the two nations.

Pakistan football team is being coached by Serbian Zavisa Milosavljevich, who was hired last month. 

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Zambia beat India 5-0

India’s confidence ahead of the SAFF Championship would certainly have taken a beating following their 5-0 defeat at the hands of Zambia at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa on Tuesday.


Musakanya Bwalya was the star of the match with a hat-trick within 21 minutes which sealed the victory for his side.

Savio Medeira handed Steven Dias the captain’s armband and decided to field Baljit Sahni and Sushil Singh upfront. Zambia, on the other hands, made several changes to their line-up from the one that started against Goa XI which highlighted coach Rene Havre’s strategy.

India keeper Karanjit Singh was tested early as he punched away a teasing cross from Katongo Felix from the right and saw Kangwa Evan’s bicycle effort sail wide.

It took around 14 minutes for the first breakthrough as Jimmy Chisenga went past Syed Rahi Nabi and Gouramangi Moirangthem before slotting past a hapless Karanjit Singh from inside the box.

Three minutes later, India were unlucky to witness Sushil Singh’s goal-bound header off a Steven Dias corner kick cleared just in front of the line by Sitali Mushumba.

Zambia kept on running down the flanks and held most of the ball possession as they forced an array of flag kicks that always looked dangerous.

India struggled to keep the ball at their feet and hardly created a threat throughout the first half.

In the 42nd minute from a Steven Dias flag-kick, Mahesh Gawli pulled back the ball to Sushil Singh who wasn't able to find the mark from inside the box in what was a half chance.

A few minutes earlier, Karanjit Singh kept his side from conceding the second goal in the first session of play when the India goalkeeper’s left glove was enough to keep out Felix’s pile-driver.

Crossing over, Savio Medeira hoped for some creativity in the midfield with the introduction of Climax Lawrence and Francis Fernandes, while sending out Joaquim Abranches in front.

However, it was Zambia who stepped on the gas when Kangwa Evans intercepted a pass to find Sitali Joseph who latched on to the ball to double their lead in the 55th minute.

In response, Sushil tried to create and opening for Abranches, but Zambia custodian Banda Jacob was quick to come off his line to pick the ball ahead of the Indian striker.

Zambia kept earning corners, while disallowing their opponents on the counter, and bore fruits for the same in the 69th minute. Katongo Felix’s set-piece found substitute Musakanya Bruce Bwalya who rose to the occasion to make it 3-0.

Bwalya struck again, just three minutes later, as he followed up on his own effort that was stopped in its tracks by defender Gouramangi Moirangthem who wasn’t able to get back on his feet before the Zambian striker slotted the remains past Karanjit.

The icing on the cake for Zambia was provided by hat-trick hero Bwalya in the 90th minute when he nodded in Sitali’s cross from the right to extend their lead by five goals.

It could have been 6-0 had it not been for the post. Lungu Luka's shot came off the crossbar in the 87th minute. India keeper Karanjit looked a bit nervous in front of charging Luputa Alfred as he fumbled but eventually got a grip over the ball.

Besides some rare shots on target by India, Climax Lawrence’s effort was saved by Zambia keeper Banda Jacob in the 89th minute.

The win shall certainly boost Zambia’s confidence whereas India would wonder as to why did they play a higher ranked nation before entering a competition.

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