NEW DELHI: Atletico de Kolkata were crowned the winners of the inaugural Indian Super League on Saturday after beating Kerala Blasters 1-0 in a final featuring two teams owned by former India cricket captains.
Kerala, co-owned by cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, dominated the match but Mohammad Rafique came off the bench to head home the stoppage-time winner at the D.Y. Patil Stadium near Mumbai.
Kerala created several opportunities but paid the price for the profligacy of their forwards, especially former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra.
For the Kolkata side, co-owned by Spanish club Atletico Madrid and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, goalkeeper Edel Bete pulled off several saves to thwart Kerala, led and managed by former England goalkeeper David James.
Less than 10 minutes before the end of regulation time, Chopra shook off his marker inside the box and dodged another defender before unleashing a shot which an airborne Edel parried away as the striker stood with his head in his hands.
The first edition of the eight-team tournament with celebrity owners and a sprinkling of high-profile players proved quite a hit in an otherwise cricket-crazy country.
Bankrolled by India’s Reliance Industries, Rupert Murdoch’s Star India and sports management group IMG, ISL has attracted players including Italian World Cup winners Alessandro Del Piero and Marco Materazzi and former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires.
Former England goalkeeper David James, player-coach for the Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), has criticised the inaugural football tournament for having ‘non-existent’ infrastructure but said it possesses ‘massive potential’.
“Four, maybe five sides, were playing on cricket pitches. The coaching is another issue,” James said as quoted by bbc.com Saturday.
“They have got to do some heavy investment, the infrastructure is near on non-existent.”
The shot-stopper also complained about the lack of training facilities and qualified coaches in the country.
“Training facilities are very, very hard to come by. There is a severe lack of qualified coaches in India,” he added.
Despite the shortcomings, James said the tournament has the potential to change the face of the country’s football as the competition is ‘remarkably competitive’.
“If they get those things right, the potential is massive,” he said while stating his desire to continue his managerial career in his native land after enjoying his role as coach of Kerala Blasters, inspiring his team to the final of the competition where they face Atletico de Kolkata in Mumbai Saturday.
