Soccerex European Forum confirms itself as continent's premier football business event

Last week saw the fourth and final edition of the Soccerex European Forum held in Manchester. As with every edition so far, the Forum was hugely successful, with this year's addition attracting 1,600 delegates made up of senior federation and government representatives, clubs, rights holders, brands and true footballing legends, a mix that can’t be found at any other football business event in Europe.

The event helped set the industry's agenda with UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino announcing a number of exclusive initiatives including proposing a minimum 10-match ban for any player found guilty of racism and potential stadium closures for the clubs involved. 2018 FIFA World Cup LOC Deputy CEO Alexander Djordjadze confirmed that the tournament will feature visa-free entry for ticket-holders travelling to Russia, but also free travel on trains and buses for supporters moving in and between host cities.

The Football Association, led by Chairman David Bernstein, played an extremely important role in this year's Forum, not only hosting a special "FA150 Lounge" for VIPs but also providing a number of speakers including England Manager Roy Hodgson, Club England Managing Director Adrian Bevington and a closing address by the FA Chairman.

In a stand-out conference programme a session moderated by Guillem Balague, Edwin van der Sar, Gaizka Mendieta, Edu Gaspar and Ledley King insightfully and openly discussed the separate journeys they have gone on throughout their careers and the challenges that some of them have had in adapting to life after football.

The workshops at this year's Forum were extremely successful with packed sessions by Repucom, 20.20, the Royal Belgian Football Association and Huggity, as well key development sessions by high profile delegations including Brazil, India, Manchester and Swansea. The significant rise of social media in football was highlighted by an industry setting presentation from Head of Sport for Twitter UK, Lewis Wiltshire and a tremendously popular workshop on 'Monetising social media' by AS Roma, AC Milan and Eurosport, which had delegates queuing through the door to watch. This enthusiasm was reflected during the Forum itself when #Soccerex was trending number 1 to over 10million active users in the UK.

As usual, Soccerex is still the only football business brand in the world that attracts true legends of the game with Sir Bobby Charlton, Steven Gerrard, Eusebio, Joe Hart, Michael Owen, Roy Hodgson, Gordon Strachan, Ossie Ardiles, Bryan Robson, Phil Thompson, Kevin Keegan, Gary Neville, Edwin van der Sar, Ledley King, Edu Gaspar, Gaizka Mendieta, Denis Law, Mike Summerbee, Ali Al-Habsi, Joe Jordan and Gordon McQueen all in attendance at the Forum.

Commenting on the Forum, Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "The last four years in Manchester have proven enormously successful for everyone involved, with this year's edition surpassing all expectations. We have consistently brought the biggest names in European football together, creating a fantastic learning and networking experience that cannot be matched anywhere else in the industry. We're now looking forward to Rio and our final Global Convention in the city this November, before returning to Soccerex’s birthplace, Manchester where the Global Convention will be hosted from 2014-2017."

Marketing Manchester Chief Executive Andrew Stokes said, "The Soccerex European Forum has been an integral part of our strategy to position Manchester as a major destination for football business. This year's event was an incredible achievement for everyone involved and laid the perfect foundation for Manchester to host the Global Convention starting in September 2014."

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com .

Dates confirmed for 2014 Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester

Soccerex is delighted to announce that the Soccerex Global Convention 2014, hosted by Marketing Manchester, will take place September 6 to 10, 2014 at the Manchester Central Convention Centre in England.

As one of the first business events of the 2014/15 football season, the Convention will be a crucial opportunity for national FA's, federations and cities to promote their 2020 EURO Championship bid to the key senior UEFA representatives in attendance before the bid process closes later that month.

This year's Soccerex European Forum in Manchester had opened the door to the championships and offer the first chance for all potential bids to understand the bidding process through an exclusive insight from UEFA's General Secretary, Gianni Infantino.

The Global Convention, which has previously been held in Paris, Los Angeles, Dubai, Johannesburg as well as being hosted in Rio de Janeiro for the last 3 years, with the final edition this winter, will be returning to the UK for the first time since 2000. It is expected to attract over 20,000 delegates to Manchester between 2014 and 2017, command significant international media attention and bring a host of football legends who will participate in the extremely popular 'Football Festival', which makes up two of the five-day event.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com .

The India Panel at the Soccerex European Forum

For a second year running the Soccerex European Forum gave a platform for Indian football to showcase itself on Thursday, April 11 afternoon with this years panel having the title 'Awakening Football's Sleeping Giant'.

The India session was moderated by Sukhvinder Singh, the Managing Director of Libero Sports India. The panelists taking part were Vivek Narayan (Director Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India), Rajpal Singh (Director Sports & Youth Affairs, FICCI), Kunal Dua (Head - Sports Marketing, Panasonic India) and Shirish Kulkarni (Executive Director – DSK Group, Owner of DSK Shivajians FC - Pune).

The aim of the session was to shed light on the Indian football market besides giving a positive outlook to the international football fraternity, whose most generic question has been for years, when will the 'Sleeping Giant' finally wake-up and be a player in the global football business.

That question could not be answered by the session, but one key statement came from Vivek Narayan when he said that the Government of India had received a new draft proposal from FIFA on hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which the world governing body would like us to host but for that certain regulations would need to be changed.

Rajpal Singh spoke about the role of FICCI as being a bridge between the government and sports federations, while also organising its own events as FICCI Turf and FICCI GOAL in bringing the different stakeholders together.

Kunal Dua spoke about what Panasonic India has done to activate football as a marketing tool, but also using Bollywood and Cricket stars for its promotion. He also spoke about what Indian football needs to do to attract further sponsorship.

Shirish Kulkarni spoke from a perspective of a team owner of a 2nd Division I-League club in DSK Shivajians FC, which gave a different insight then the other speakers and also some infos on the I-League Franchise expansion plan.

In the end the session gave a positive outlook though the problems became evident when the Q&A session was held and the people present asked the tough questions.

Manchester City FC hosts Indian Delegation at their Etihad Stadium

A 25 member strong Indian delegation which has come to Manchester for the Soccerex European Forum were treated to a presentation and stadium tour by the current Premier League champions Manchester City at their Etihad Stadium yesterday.

The FICCI – Libero Sports India delegation arrived at the Ethiad Stadium yesterday morning and were greeted by Manchester City legend Mike Summerbee prior to listening to a presentation on Manchester City's international business objectives by senior management Tom Glick and Omar Barreda.

After the presentation the delegation took a private tour of the state of the art Ethiad Stadium before heading back to Manchester Central for the Soccerex European Forum.

Chris Punnakkattu Daniel said about the tour, "The visit to Manchester City FC and the Etihad Stadium was an interesting one to get an in-depth idea on the club, the facilities and their plans for India - especially in comparison to other leagues like the Bundesliga."

The India delegation to Soccerex is an initiative driven by FICCI and Libero Sports India to connect key industry stakeholders with the global football community.

FICCI and Libero Sports India Organize Indian Delegation to Soccerex European Forum

A delegation of 40 members will represent the Indian football industry at the 2013 Soccerex European Forum taking place today and tomorrow in Manchester, England.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in partnership with Libero Sports India, India's first and only strategic football consultancy, will be leading an official 40 member Indian delegation to the Soccerex European Forum.

Soccerex is the world's biggest football business event attended by global stakeholders with their European Forum being part of a series of events across the globe. The 40 member Indian delegation will be led by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the All India Football Federation, and will have participation from the leading brands, clubs, academies and agencies involved in growing of football in India.

English Premier League champions Manchester City FC will host the delegation later today at the Etihad Stadium, while tomorrow the delegation will participate in a 90 minute session entitled, "Awakening the Sleeping Giant, the Rising Billion" which will focus on the unique business opportunities in Indian football, including possible opportunities associated with hosting the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said, "There is a lot of development taking place in Indian football across all levels and Soccerex gives us a platform to share these developments with global investors. FICCI and Libero Sports India put in a lot of effort in creating this delegation every year and this initiative has full support from the Federation."

During the two day forum, the Indian delegation will have an exclusive exhibition stall to conduct meetings and showcase some of the key initiatives currently taking place within the Indian football landscape.

The FA to showcase 150th anniversary at Soccerex European Forum

The English Football Association, in short called 'The FA' is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary and this week at the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester it will showcase itself and its work.

The FA was formed in 1863 and it is the oldest football association in the world, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in England.

FA Chairman David Bernstein and England Manager Roy Hodgson will lead The FA delegation, which will see the opening address at the two-day conference being given by Club England Managing Director Adrian Bevington, while as part of its year-long celebration of a century and a half of organised football, The FA will be playing a major role by hosting a special FA150 Lounge across both days.

Adrian Bevington said, "Soccerex is a major event in the global football calendar and we are delighted The FA has been asked to play a prominent role in the 2013 European Forum in this our 150th year."

"In particular, it will be a valuable opportunity for The FA to talk about our wider grassroots work as part of the FA150 programme. As well as providing prominent contributions to a number of the sessions, we will also be able to put our world-class facilities at Wembley and St. George’s Park in the spotlight once again."

"Soccerex attracts delegates from across the world and we know from our experience in Rio last year just how positive the event can be for promoting The FA and English football in general."

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard to attend Soccerex European Forum

Soccerex have confirmed that England and FC Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be attending the Soccerex European Forum on April 10/11 in Manchester.

Regarded as one of the greatest central midfielders of the modern era, Gerrard has been an iconic symbol of English football as well as a once in a generation player for his hometown club, FC Liverpool.

Making his senior debut for Liverpool in 1998, he has made 625 appearances for the club, including 159 goals. His defining football moment came in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. Having already brought Liverpool back from the brink against Olympiacos, Gerrard helped orchestrate one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football, his 54th minute header inspiring Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win their fifth European Cup.

Gerrard gained his first international cap in 2000, scoring his first international goal in the 5-1 defeat of Germany in 2001. He has proved himself to be one of England's most consistent performers and reached 100 caps for England against Sweden in November 2012, becoming only the 6th player ever to do so. He captained the side for the first time in 2004 and was handed the armband again during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Gerrard retained the captaincy for the opening Euro 2012 qualifying match against Bulgaria and was later confirmed as permanent captain.

Steven Gerrard commented, "I'm excited to be attending the Soccerex European Forum; it will be a great opportunity to catch up with the football family and help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the FA."

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "To welcome a player of Steven's stature to our event is an enormous privilege for me and Soccerex. As England and Liverpool captain, he is an icon of the game all over the world and brings his vast experience and knowledge of the game both on and off the field which will greatly enhance everyone's Soccerex experience and help to make the Forum an unmissable event."

The Soccerex European Forum is a two-day event which attracts over 1,600 delegates from the elite of Europe's football industry to come together to debate, network and do business. This year's agenda setting conference programme will tackle the key issues shaping European football, including fan engagement, media rights, match fixing, discrimination and addiction, life after football, social media and a selection of special 1-2-1 sessions with Gianni Infantino, Alexey Sorokin, Sir John Madejski, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Neville.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/europe .

David Dein joins EPFL and La Liga on Soccerex's league panel!

Soccerex have confirmed that David Dein, one of the foremost authorities in European football and one of the founders of the English Premier League will be speaking at this year's Soccerex European Forum on April 10/11 in Manchester.

The former Arsenal and The FA Vice-Chairman will be speaking on the 'League Leaders' panel alongside La Liga CEO Francisco Roca and the Association of European Professional Football League (EPFL) CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros. Drawing on their vast experience, David and Francisco will discuss the comparative strengths of the Premier League and La Liga and then open up the discussion to look at the broader issues affecting Europe's top leagues including the impact of FFP and the role of leagues in enforcing it, marketing to an international audience, corruption and the possibility of a winter World Cup and the impact it will have on European leagues.

As Vice-Chairman of Arsenal FC for 24 years, president of the G-14 group of European football clubs from 2006 to 2007 and responsible for bringing some of the biggest names to the Premier League such as Arsène Wenger, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, David is one of the foremost authorities in European football and will be able to provide an expert opinion throughout the session.

Commenting on his participation David Dein said, "I'm delighted to be speaking at the Forum alongside Francisco and Emanuel. As Europe's leading football business event, it allows the industry to renew its interest and passion for the game and bring the industry closer together."

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "We are thrilled to have David speaking at the Forum, without him there would be no Premier League as we see it today. His comparative insight on European football alongside Francisco and Emanuel is a key session of the Forum and will be a privilege to listen to."

The Soccerex European Forum is a two-day event which attracts over 1,600 delegates from the elite of Europe's football industry to come together to debate, network and do business. This year's agenda setting conference programme will tackle the key issues shaping European football, including fan engagement, media rights, match fixing, discrimination and addiction, life after football, social media and a selection of special 1-2-1 sessions with Gianni Infantino, Alexey Sorokin, Sir John Madejski, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Neville.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/europe .

Ledley King talks on ‘Life after the Final Whistle’ at Soccerex

Soccerex have confirmed that England and Tottenham Hotspur legend Ledley King will be speaking on the 'Life after the Final Whistle' panel at the Soccerex European Forum on April 10/11 in Manchester.

In a session which includes Edwin van der Sar, Gaizka Mendieta and Edu Gaspar, King will discuss the opportunities that have been made available to him in his role of Club Ambassador for Tottenham Hotspur, in particular by using his unique appeal as a well-known figure and positive role model to inspire young people in the community, working closely with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.

Remaining in a role at Tottenham has also enabled him to start his coaching badges, attend various events, travel overseas to engage with their global fan base, and to take part in media work.

Arguably one of the finest defenders of his generation, Ledley made his debut in 1999 and went on to make 264 league appearances, becoming the first Tottenham captain in 9 years to lead the side to silverware by winning the Carling Cup in 2008. The centre-back also represented England 21 times and started the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against the USA.

Speaking on his participation at the Forum, Ledley King said, "After hearing great things, I'm looking forward to speaking on a subject which is very important to me, as well as catching up with Edwin, Gaizka and Edu, who I have great memories of playing against."

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said, "Ledley's participation in the panel is a huge honour for us which will provide our delegates with an unmissable session. Throughout his career he has been the ultimate professional and will provide an excellent insight into the options available to players once they have retired."

The Soccerex European Forum is a two-day event which attracts over 1,600 delegates from the elite of Europe's football industry to come together to debate, network and do business. This year's agenda setting conference programme will tackle the key issues shaping European football, including fan engagement, media rights, match fixing, discrimination and addiction, life after football, social media and a selection of special 1-2-1 sessions with Gianni Infantino, Alexey Sorokin, Sir John Madejski, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Neville.

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/europe .

Soccerex - India Panel: Awakening Football's Sleeping Giant

The Soccerex European Forum 2013 will be held on April 10/11 with leading figures of European and world football gathering in Manchester, England. And once again India will be on the agenda with an 'Football's Growth Markets' workshop solely focusing on Indian football going to be held on the second day of the Forum.

As someone who has been to a number of Soccerex conventions and forums, I know that India has been on the agenda of the Soccerex organisers for many, many years and they have given Indian football a global platform.

This time the India workshop is being hosted by Soccerex in conjunction with the Federation of Industrial Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Libero Sports (official Soccerex representatives in India).

The session will feature senior representatives from the key stakeholders involved in the development of Indian football. It will focus on the strategies and programmes currently in place as well as India's vision for football at both a domestic and international level.

Amongst the speakers will be Kushal Das (General Secretary, All India Football Federation), Pradeep Deb (Secretary of Sports, Government of India), Rajpal Singh (Director, Sports, Federation of Industrial Chambers of Commerce and Industry), Kunal Dua (Head, Sports Marketing, Panasonic India), Shirish Kulkarni (Owner, DSK Shivajians FC) and Sukhvinder Singh (Managing Director, Libero Sports India).

My Opinion on Indian Football's Future

Last week I had run a series on opinions of people involved in Indian football about the future of the beautiful game in India. I had asked them while we all were at the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester on March 28/29 and since then numerous people have been asking me about my own personal opinion on the same topic.

I am an optimist but Indian football is something were one can lose believe. In my involvement in Indian football over the last 14 years, we have seen a number of highs but the equal number of lows. This makes it difficult to say what will happen in the future, but overall Indian football has moved forward over the last decade.

The key elements for Indian football to succeed and grow in the future are professional administration and management, focus on a large scale youth development program, the construction of necessary infrastructure which means not only large stadia but also training facilities.

Further we need a clear-cut system in our club football. Meaning a strong I-League which should grow to 18 to 20 clubs, where all clubs are professional as per the AFC Club Licensing criteria. Below that a structured Division 2, maybe a regional Division 3 inter-linked with the state and city leagues. This way there is a pyramid visible in our club football which also needs to be inter-linked with youth and school football then in India as many kids as possible should play football and the best need to filter through the system to the top.

If these points are followed then we are looking at a bright future...


Here are the links to the different opinions

- Opinion on Indian Football: Sanjiv Saran (Saran Presents)

- Opinion on Indian Football: Yogesh Joshee (Match World)

- Opinion on Indian Football: Ajin Jacob Abraham (Huddersfield Town FC)

- Opinion on Indian Football: Ashok Rajgopal (Football One)

- Opinion on Indian Football: Sukhvinder Singh (Libero Sports)

- Opinion on Indian Football: Dhruv Ratra (Anglian Holdings)

Opinion on Indian Football: Dhruv Ratra (Anglian Holdings)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I finish the series with the views of Dhruv Ratra (Anglian Holdings, CEO Sports).


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

Indian football is at a point of inflection! Here my mathematical background coming out... And I think that it (Indian football) has tremendous potential over the next 10-20-30 years.

If the stars are aligned, there is proper planning thats put in place. The talent is there, the passion is there, the interest is there, money is there. Now we just need to get the important things like the coaching and putting in place a long-term vision for kids to be able to go out and do something which right now stops at the age of 12/13 because there is no future potential (career road map).

I am optimistic and which is why we (Anglian Holdings) have invested in India!


Earlier I had done an Interview with Dhruv Ratra (Anglian Holdings) on the Shillong Lajong FC & FC Vestsjælland (Denmark) investment

Opinion on Indian Football: Sukhvinder Singh (Libero Sports)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I continue the series with the views of Sukhvinder Singh (Libero Sports, MD).


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

Football is certainly not at a desirable level in the country but the writing is on the wall – Football could be the next big industry in India!

This sentiment is exemplified in the series of events in the recent times. While majority of the factors are pro-football at present, we cannot neglect the fact that the foundation needs to be built the right way for effective results. I believe in engaging the critical mass from the 500 million Indians under the age of 25 years to produce not only the players and the technical professionals but also the administrators, marketeers, media professionals, investors, consumers, fans, etc. who shall have a stake in the game's development. This needs to be achieved by taking the sport to the masses rather than the other way round. I am enthused to see a larger participation of the young boys and girls and am energized to see the support that the new generations of parents are ready to provide to their kids.

The transformation cannot happen over a one year period or a decade but would require the efforts of one generation to create a strong population which believes in the goodness of football and is willing to commit to the cause of the beautiful game in our country. If this is achieved, success would follow.

Opinion on Indian Football: Ashok Rajgopal (Football One)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I continue the series with the views of Ashok Rajgopal (Football One, CEO), who comes out of the financial sector with years of experience.


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

I think we are at a point of inflection! You know when we did the Formula 1 in India it was very successful and some of the comments from the F1 guys who came from outside the country actually made the point that if you have to look at the organisation of Commonwealth Games and then Formula 1. The reason for its (F1) grand success was the fact that it was a private sector organised sporting event.

And I believe that its gonna be the (Indian) economic growth itself will get the private sector more involved (in sports) rather then the government. I think that that is one of the big paradime shifts that you need in football. The lesser reliance and dependance on the government and the administration, the private sector is allowed to play its part a little more freely, I think you will see the impact.

If you look at infrastructure in connection with the 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup bid then you look at the levels of sophistication, the private sector is better equipped. But if you look at the Commonwealth Games they (the government) have actually created stadiums which are pretty good but then you have issues like maintanaince and bureaucracy that kind of surrounds it. Where as you gave it away to the private sector they would figure out not only how to maintain it but also figure out how to make money out of it.

Opinion on Indian Football: Ajin Jacob Abraham (Huddersfield Town FC)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I continue the series with the views from Ajin Jacob Abraham (Huddersfield Town FC, International Development Manager), who has done the Football MBA in Liverpool and works in English football.


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

In my personal opinion Indian football at the moment needs a lot of structure and it's not just at the top, it starts from the grassroots. There is a lot of things which come from the families, then parents nowadays take their children to football, while it is also a lot of things to do with attitude towards the game. And that is where I believe a lot of investment and lot of interest should come. That's the only way up!

In terms of what the bigger picture is for the AIFF and IMG-Reliance liaising with all the states, all regions so that it is seen as a national body for the whole country rather then sporadic events and tournament in far-flung places like Goa, Bengal or Kerala which are anyway hotbeds of football.

Opinion on Indian Football: Yogesh Joshee (Match World)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I continue the series with the views from London-based players agent Yogesh Joshee (Match World CEO) who amongst others manages Sunil Chhetri.


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

We've just come out of the India workshop here at Soccerex (speaking last Thursday). It is nice to see such a large Indian delegation present, which we didn't have four or five years ago. You often where one of the rare Indian faces to be seen at international football gatherings.

It is nice to see more and more nationalities and foreign players going to play in India. There seems to be a lot more publicity about the game. There seems to be more stakeholders, government officials who have travelled from India over here to get the know the game.

But to say where Indian football stands? I think it still stands at the same place it stood a few years ago. However I do see there is progress, I do feel that in the next few years it will progress in a positive manner and I think it is a good place to be right now.

I am quite excited about the future for Indian football!

Opinion on Indian Football: Sanjiv Saran (Saran Presents)

At the Soccerex European Forum last week in Manchester Indian football was well represented with over 20 people there from federations, the government, institutions, agencies and clubs. I spoke to some of these people to get their views on Indian football and will run a series across the week with these very interesting different view points.

I start the series with my good, old friend Sanjiv Saran Mehra (Founding CEO & Director, Saran Presents) who organises corporates sports and school football in Mumbai.


Where do we stand with Indian football today?

I think it has a long, long way to go. I don't think its infrastructure development only which will solve our problems, you need to spread the sport at the grassroot level. Right now we are only focusing on the big cities, showing the popularity of football in the big cities. I think what you need to do is to get into the smaller cities, the 'B' and 'C' towns. I think the onus should really be on the state associations who through their districts need to take the route of taking it into the smaller towns. That is the only way you can popularise the sport.

You also need to have a system and a structure where not only the elite schools who have access to grounds, football competitions and championships. Its got to be across the board. So its got to be the under-privileged schools, the municipal schools, the NGOs because thats where the talent and the skills are, that's where the hunger is. So I think its got to be long thoroughbred plan and vision which needs to be implemented over the next five to 10 years. Thats the only way you can see results coming in.

Just infrastructure by itself will not sort things out. You need to attack the grassroot level in a pyramid format. We start at the grassroot level, spread it out and start working upwards.

According to me thats the simple strategy to move forward!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Kushal Das (AIFF General Secretary)

On the sidelines of the India workshop at the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester on Thursday I had the chance to speak to the All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das about some of the pressing issues.


How important do you see that in a Forum like Soccerex India is given an own panel, India comes with a large delegation and can show what Indian football is all about.

Very important! I think it really demonstrates the interest level which the whole world has for India which is very encouraging to see.


We have all heard here in Manchester a complete confusion about AIFF, IFA, PLS - the structure of Indian football. Is all this disturbing to you or are you rather happy about the international media coverage that Indian football is generating?

No doubt the coverage is good! As Jeff (Slack from IMG-Reliance) very right mentioned in the workshop it actually shows the kind of interest the world has for Indian football. But there are some misconceptions about the fact if the AIFF or IFA is doing the PLS.

You know as good as I do there is the problem of having two federations named AIFF and IFA, which has been in existence for a long time. IFA was set-up more then 40 years before the AIFF (laughs). What can you do? I don't want a civil war by forcing the IFA to change the name but it is causing unnecessary problems.


I agree with you but does his mean the IFA needs to change its name so that in the future there is internationally no confusion about who runs football in India?

I think I will have to discuss this with a larger group, maybe the AIFF executive committee. This is a problem and I would like to discuss this with the IFA too. But then they are our member association, a very old member association, actually older then us. So you have to respect their sentiments. But I realise that this is creating quite a bit of confusion.


India's bid to host the 2017 Under-FIFA World Cup has created a lot of buzz and interest in football circles. Could this be the one-off event which could help Indian football to get especially the necessary infrastructure which will allow the game to flourish in India?

I am quite certain about it! If this happens I think we would get the necessary infrastructure. That would be the best result from this tournament.

But we will also want an competitive Indian team, help us evaluate our development program and you know the program is working well. But most importantly we would get the infrastructure!


It was an open and candid conversation in which Kushal Das said a lot of things, which needs to be picked-up and discussed back home...

Soccerex: India Workshop speaks about Opportunities

The Soccerex European Forum 2012 was held in Manchester on Wednesday/Thursday this week with leading figures of European and world football attending. And once more India was on the Soccerex agenda with an 'Emerging Markets' workshop solely focusing on Indian football was held yesterday morning, on the second day of the Forum.

The focus of the India workshop was to highlight the unique business opportunities for football in India and Indian football. The session was moderated by Sukhvinder Singh (MD Libero Sports) with AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, Vishwajeet Kadam (Secretary of Bharati Vidyapeeth University & AKFDC), Mario De Vivo (Inter Milan CCO), Jefferson Slack (IMG-Reliance, IMG Football Division head) and Rajpal Singh (Additional Director FICCI Sports Committee) on the panel.

AIFF General Secretary started with his three highlights over the recent past which he hoped would guarantee a better future for Indian football. The first point was the participation of India in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, the second point being the landmark 15 year deal between the AIFF and IMG-Reliance to market the game, while the third point was the development plans being put in place by the AIFF with the support from FIFA. He mentioned the four Regional Academies set to open in June/July with four more to open in mid-2013 and the Elite Academy, besides the appointment of Dutchman Rob Baan as Technical Director besides India's bid to host the 2017 Under-17 World Cup.

Vishwajeet Kadam spoke about the general rise of Sports in India. Especially football was seeing an unseen growth with the sport being especially popular amongst the youth with his own organisation Bharati Vidyapeeth in talks with European clubs to have an Academy for Under-10 to U-17 kids combining education and sports.

IMG's Jeff Slack said, "IMG-Reliance are excited about India. This is the reason why we signed a 15 year deal with the AIFF, while we also have a 30 year deal with the Basketball Federation of India."

Jeff Slack spoke about the 16 India Under-15 boys currently training at the IMG Academy in Florida, about their trip to Brazil, where they even impressed coaches over there. He also termed the Indian media market as very competitive, where Indian football would have to fight for its place.

But Jeff Slack summed it up with, "Indians love football! India can play football," and added, "IMG-Reliance has made investments for the future."

But as Kushal Das said, "There are challenges. The biggest one is infrastructure. But if India get to host the 2017 Under-17 World Cup, then hopefully the government reacts to put the necessary infrastructure in place."

The panel did not discuss the current ongoing problems of the I-League though Jeff did mention that the I-League faced structural problems and challenges.

The people present at the workshop were made to understand that Cricket is the biggest sport in India, but there was cricket fatigue in India due to nonstop cricket.

The Premier League Soccer was a hot topic in Manchester (), but the panel seemed to want to avoid this topic until in the Q&A session a question about the PLS was asked. AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das confirmed that the proposed PLS is 'definitely dead' for this season and about its future said, "What is next we do not know."

On the PLS topic Jeff Slack said, "The PLS initially concerned me especially due to the global media interest," but didn't go further into the topic.

Though the workshop was held on an international platform for mainly international listeners it had a definite Indian touch, sometimes going a little offtrack. But the session did show that Indian football has many opportunities though facing a lot of problems and especially the bureaucracy is a massive drawback for development.

Soccerex: International Confusion about Indian football

Day one of the Soccerex European Forum here in Manchester was as always good then one meets old friends in football and makes new contacts. One gets to know what's happening in the industry and the hot topics of the moment. Interestingly everyone seems to be very interested about Indian football - the opportunities and challenges that the 'emerging market' offers.

But there are misunderstandings and misconceptions about India and its football. Many see the Indian economy its healthy growth rate and the rise of the new middle class, a group with leisure money to spend; but often the difficulties and challenges are forgotten.

One of the biggest talking point is the IPL-style Premier League Soccer in West Bengal, which for different people in the industry has different meanings, then the international media has covered it extensively but has not always gotten the key facts right or transported the information needed to understand it properly.

Many think the PLS is a new national league, some a new Indian Pro League, some call it a rebel league others meanwhile know that it is a regional (state) league in the football crazy state of West Bengal. Explaining over and over again what the PLS is, why it has been delayed and what it could mean for Indian football vis-a-vis to the I-League and the development of football in India isn't always easy.

Here my write-up on the upcoming panel this morning about: Soccerex: Emerging Markets Panel on India .

Loads to talk about, more later in the day and over the coming days...