The Kerala Super League is yet to start but the men behind the big-money event are now making sure that the league has enough young talent and fresh faces to power it in the long run.
The KSL announced a tie-up with the Andres Iniesta Scouting, which is a part of the Iniesta Academy founded by the Spanish legend who won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, here on Wednesday.
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“If we don’t grow from the grassroots, then the Super League is not complete. We have an engagement and we want the entire State to benefit,” said Mathew Joseph, the CEO of the Super League which is likely to start in August next year.
“We feel Iniesta is one of the world’s greatest footballers, that’s the reason why we chose Iniesta as our scouting partner and as we go forward for the academies which will be set up with Iniesta.”
Four coaches from the Iniesta Academy are now in Kerala training over 40 coaches and the plan is to increase the number to 70. The newly-trained coaches will scout for talent in nearly 2500 matches which the Kerala Football Association plans to organise for juniors across five age categories in the next nine months or so and also train the selected players.
The best will be sent abroad for training at the Iniesta Academy. From Kochi, the Iniesta coaches will be travelling to Kozhikode and Malappuram over the next few days to look at the talent there.
Coaches from Andres Iniesta Scouting in Kochi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Stan Rayan
“Today if you look at the ISL, of the 400 players there only 45 are from Kerala. And there are only five full-time players from Kerala. We want to change that,” said Navas Meeran, the new president of the KFA as he spoke about the ‘Project Gamechanger’ which is expected to impact nearly 30,000 children from the State.
“We are looking at football in totality and how it can influence our economy, it is not necessary that our players get Government jobs, we also want to see how football can help players after their playing career is over.”
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